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Lumpy skin disease spreads to 16 Rajasthan districts, kills 4,000 cattle
The Rajasthan government is considering a ban on cattle movement from other states due to the lumpy skin disease spread and has sought reports from district collectors to make a final assessment
More than 4,000 cattle have died of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Rajasthan, a viral infection that has spread to 16 districts in the state, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The official said nearly 94,000 cases of the viral infection that affects cattle have been reported, which was initially detected in cattle in districts adjoining Gujarat, the epicentre of the disease, but has spread rapidly to northern Rajasthan as well. Nearly 70,000 of the infected cattle have been treated, the official said.
The official said the government is considering banning cattle movement from other states and has sought reports from district to make a final assessment. The government is also inclined to impose restrictions or cancel the upcoming animal fairs due to infection.
According to official estimates, Rajasthan has a total cow population of around 14 million.
The viral disease is spread by blood-feeding insects such as certain species of flies, mosquitos or ticks and through contaminated food and water. The disease causes acute fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, soft blister-like nodules all over the body, marked reduction in milk yield, difficulty in eating, and sometimes, also leads to the animal’s death. The mortality rate for the contagion is 1.5%.
According to the state government’s data, five districts have reported the majority of the deaths: Ganganagar (840), Barmer (830), Jodhpur (730), Jalore (580) and Bikaner (527). The infection has also been reported from Jaisalmer, Pali, Sirohi, Churu, Hanumangarh, Ajmer, Nagaur, Jaipur, Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Udaipur.
Chief secretary Usha Sharma said that a budget of ₹8 lakh to Rs12 lakh has been given at a divisional level to the Ajmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur offices; and ₹2 lakh to ₹8 lakh to the rest of the affected districts to buy emergency and essential medicines. She said that 30 additional vehicles were provided to the affected districts for prevention, treatment and effective monitoring of the disease.
Additional director (health), department of animal husbandry, Dr NM Singh said the state is focusing on prevention. Cattle owners have been told to keep the infected animal in isolation. Singh said the infection spread does not pose a risk to humans. “There is no issue in consuming milk after boiling,” he said.
