NAGPUR: Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is showing Covid-like symptoms in cattle with animals also dying of respiratory distress.
This has left the veterinarians concerned as in earlier outbreaks, LSD’s impact was limited to the cattle’s skin. This time the respiratory syndrome is quite prominent, according to sources. This is being attributed to high death rates. Till Tuesday 80,000 LSD deaths have been recorded throughout the country.
Experts say that LSD used to take a toll on respiration, it was not so prominent in earlier years.
Veterinarians have stressed that milk of even infected-cattle is safe and it should be boiled above 100 degrees C for safety.
Don’t engage cattle in works for 15 days after recovery, farmers told
Veterinarians involved in Lumpy skin disease (LSD) management said pneumonia has become one of the causes of cattle deaths. Doctors who have observed the phenomenon in Maharashtra have also got confirmations from other states about such deaths. “Meat is safe as it has not infected sheep or goat.
Though LSD affects buffaloes, its meat is safe after proper cooking,” say experts. With deaths also happening in animals that have been cured, the state government has advised farmers not to engage the cattle in works like drawing carts or ploughing till 15 days after full recovery. There is no antidote after the lungs are affected, say veterinarians. The only solution is early reporting of cases so that prompt treatment can help in preventing the spread. Postmortems have revealed that lumps similar to those found on the skin were now seen in the lungs also. “This hampered the respiration leading to deaths.
Even cured cattle have collapsed,” said sources. LSD is now being compared to Covid of cattle. There are cases which are getting cured in few days but some animals are also developing severe complication with breathlessness one problem. The disease is affecting the liver and kidney of cattle too, said sources. In 2021, Maharashtra had 39,000 cases and no deaths. A year before, over 2 lakh were infected of LSD and 18 deaths reported. In the current outbreak, the mortality is 3%. Experts apprehend that the percentage may reach 5% due to the complications. Following suggestions by experts in MAFSU, kidney and liver function tests of the affected cattle are being carried out apart from getting the CBC done.
MAFSU’s expert Dr Anil Bikhane said the tests will be carried out in animals in which prolonged fever is seen. The blood tests can reveal other infections in the cattle. “As the disease lowers immunity, the animals are susceptible of catching other infections too,” he said. Meanwhile, the Chandrapur administration has declared city and four other villages as lumpy skin disease-infested places and 44 other villages around them have been put under the alert zone.
The number of infected cattle increased by more than 1,000 touching 11,251 on Tuesday. As against this, 3,300-odd have recovered and 352 deaths have been recorded in Maharashtra.
This has left the veterinarians concerned as in earlier outbreaks, LSD’s impact was limited to the cattle’s skin. This time the respiratory syndrome is quite prominent, according to sources. This is being attributed to high death rates. Till Tuesday 80,000 LSD deaths have been recorded throughout the country.
Experts say that LSD used to take a toll on respiration, it was not so prominent in earlier years.
Veterinarians have stressed that milk of even infected-cattle is safe and it should be boiled above 100 degrees C for safety.
Don’t engage cattle in works for 15 days after recovery, farmers told
Veterinarians involved in Lumpy skin disease (LSD) management said pneumonia has become one of the causes of cattle deaths. Doctors who have observed the phenomenon in Maharashtra have also got confirmations from other states about such deaths. “Meat is safe as it has not infected sheep or goat.
Though LSD affects buffaloes, its meat is safe after proper cooking,” say experts. With deaths also happening in animals that have been cured, the state government has advised farmers not to engage the cattle in works like drawing carts or ploughing till 15 days after full recovery. There is no antidote after the lungs are affected, say veterinarians. The only solution is early reporting of cases so that prompt treatment can help in preventing the spread. Postmortems have revealed that lumps similar to those found on the skin were now seen in the lungs also. “This hampered the respiration leading to deaths.
Even cured cattle have collapsed,” said sources. LSD is now being compared to Covid of cattle. There are cases which are getting cured in few days but some animals are also developing severe complication with breathlessness one problem. The disease is affecting the liver and kidney of cattle too, said sources. In 2021, Maharashtra had 39,000 cases and no deaths. A year before, over 2 lakh were infected of LSD and 18 deaths reported. In the current outbreak, the mortality is 3%. Experts apprehend that the percentage may reach 5% due to the complications. Following suggestions by experts in MAFSU, kidney and liver function tests of the affected cattle are being carried out apart from getting the CBC done.
MAFSU’s expert Dr Anil Bikhane said the tests will be carried out in animals in which prolonged fever is seen. The blood tests can reveal other infections in the cattle. “As the disease lowers immunity, the animals are susceptible of catching other infections too,” he said. Meanwhile, the Chandrapur administration has declared city and four other villages as lumpy skin disease-infested places and 44 other villages around them have been put under the alert zone.
The number of infected cattle increased by more than 1,000 touching 11,251 on Tuesday. As against this, 3,300-odd have recovered and 352 deaths have been recorded in Maharashtra.
