Around 15.21 lakh cattle had been
affected by the LSD and took the life of above 57000 cattle across the country.
According to the World Health Organisation of Animals (WOAH) Lumpy skin disease
virus which belongs to Capripovirus genus of the Poxviridae family is the cause
of this contagious and deadly outbreak. Maximum cases have been recorded in the
states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
The centre had advised to isolate the
infected animals. The state governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat had arranged
for separate rooms to monitor and implement prevention strategies. Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote to the centre that this disease must be
declared as a national calamity.
Fortunately LSD is not zoonotic
according to WOAH which means it is not a threat to human in any way. According
to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) LSD is transmitted by blood feeding
insects like flies, mosquitoes and ticks. An infected animal becomes immune to
the virus after recovery.
Some animals do not show any symptoms but the
virus remains in the blood for few days after which it vanishes. The disease
causes nodules on the skin, fever and discharge from eyes and nose. It reduces
milk production and often leads to miscarriage in pregnant cattle.
This endemic is said to poses an
African origin and had been spreading rapidly since 2012 across Middle East,
south-east Europe and West and Central Asia. Since 2019 numerous outbreaks are
being recorded across the Asian countries. Around 29000 cases are discovered in
Pakistan, Punjab and Sindh province.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal
Husbandry and Dairy Shri Parshottam Rupala Held a meeting to ensure the
accessibility of ring vaccine to prevent further transmission. Isolating the
affected animals along with herbal and homeopathic treatment is also supported.
Till now 97 lakhs of cattle are
already vaccinated and many of the cattle had recovered with proper medication.
According to the centre the goat pox vaccine which is being used to curb the
disease proved to be 100% effective. The government had also created a toll
free number (1962) to guide the dairy farmers and cattle herders in fighting
the disease.