Nearly 20 camels have died in Sabiya in Jizan region due to a mysterious disease that broke out a week ago, said a camel owner on Tuesday. “Around 150 camels of my herd showed the symptoms of the illness that killed camels in August last year in Saudi Arabia,” said Idris Zabali who owns 450 camels. After the first three camels died, the incident was reported to the Agriculture's Office in the region, he said. They sent a veterinarian who injected the camels, but it didn't help much as the camels started to develop more symptoms of sweating, excitability, vomiting and fainting, he said. The man said he had submitted a plea to save his herd from this deadly disease. Samples have been taken for test to determine the type of disease that has hit the herd, said Muhammad Shuraim, head of the Agriculture's Office in Jizan region. Medication would be provided, he assured. In Hail, more than 15 heads of sheep died at a farm because of contaminated fodder, said Muhammad Naif Al-Shammari, the farmowner. Salman Sowaini, head of Agriculture's Office in Hail, said samples of the fodder were taken to Riyadh for test. The death of camels last year sparked anger in the country. The country's Agriculture Ministry said tests suggested the deaths were caused by animal feed which was contaminated by insecticide. Owners were compensated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. - Okaz (Awad Al-Tuwalah from Hail contributed to the report) __
