CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines -- (UPDATE) At least 34 cattle and horses have already died of a fly-transmitted disease called surra in the hinterland villages of the agricultural town of Magsaysay in Misamis Oriental, officials said Thursday.

The cause of the animals? deaths was confirmed when samples taken from them were tested in a laboratory in Gingoog City.

But information as to how many deaths occurred in each animal group was not immediately available.

Benjamin Resma, provincial veterinarian, said they suspected that surra, which affects mammals in India, Middle East, Africa and Asia, may have reached the town, which is near Agusan del Norte, through an imported horse.

Surra is caused by a protozoan called Trypanosoma evansi, which thrives on a species of horsefly. The protozoan spreads when a host horsefly bites and sucks the blood of an animal, including pigs and dogs.

"The flies inhabit areas near water bodies like streams and rivers," Resma said.

He said a team of veterinarians was dispatched Wednesday to Magsaysay, which is about 90 kilometers from here, to treat other affected animals.

The team treated about 138 other animals -- horses and cattle -- with the drug, diminazine diaceturate, in the barangays of Tinaan, Abunda, Mindulao and Cabalawan.

Resma said the problem with surra is that there is no available vaccine for the disease, which means that uninfected animals could always contract the illness.

"There is no available vaccine but we are treating all working animals in the area," Resma said.

The symptoms of the chronic disease include: fever; hemorrhage of the eyelids, nostrils and anus; skin rashes; weight loss; anemia; and jaundice.

Resma said there might also be swelling of the legs, brisket and abdomen.

In acute cases, Resma said an animal could die in two weeks time.

"Surra is frequently chronic in cattle and buffaloes; death may occur up to six months after the onset of signs, but most animals recover and become carriers. In the last stages, the genitals of the animals are enlarged," he said.

Resma said if left to spread, the disease would have debilitating effects on the growing dairy industry in the province, as well as to farmers' access to resources. Horses and cattle are the chief means of transportation in the far-flung villages in Misamis Oriental.

Governor Oscar Moreno has already ordered the treatment of all animals in the affected town and the immediate purchase of more medicines from Manila.

Moreno said to ensure the recovery of affected animals, the provincial veterinary team will remain in the villages until April 25.