Lumpy Disease Update: The contagious lumpy skin disease has become a major cause of concern for the health authorities. According to the centre over 57,000 cattle have died due to the disease across various parts of the country. The spread of the virus has also affected the milk collection specially in Rajasthan. Milk collection across Rajasthan is estimated to have reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day after the onset of lumpy skin disease among cattle.Also Read – Lumpy Virus: More Than 57 Thousand Cattle Dead, Disease Spreads To More States
However, it is important to note that the reduced collection has not affected the demand-supply ratio of milk at retail outlets as the department in the last five months had made aggressive efforts to increase the milk collection, the official said. Also Read – Monsoon Gets Active Again In Rajasthan, 13 Districts Including Jaipur Receive Heavy Rains
About 20 lakh litre per day milk was being collected at collection centres in the month of June according to the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF). The collection is estimated to have reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day and is presently 29 lakh litre per day. Also Read – Uttar Pradesh: 17 Children, 2 Teachers Fall Sick, Admitted To Hospital Due to Foul Smell From Nearby Gaushala
“Milk collection has reduced by 3 to 4 lakh litre per day in the state after the onset of lumpy skin disease. It would have been 32 to 33 lakh litre per day but is presently 29 lakh litre per day. However, it has not hit the demand-supply ratio as we have made aggressive efforts to increase milk collection since April,” RCDF administrator and managing director Sushma Arora told PTI.
What Is Lumpy Disease?
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle and causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death.
How Does It Spread?
The disease gets spread by mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps by direct contact among the cattle, and through contaminated food and water.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
The main symptoms are fever in animals, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation from the mouth, soft blisters like nodules all over the body, reduced milk production, and difficulty in eating, which sometimes lead to the animal’s death.
“Lumpy skin disease has spread in 6-7 states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, some cases have been reported,” Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala told reporters here at a press conference to announce IDF World Day Summit being organised in India during September 12-15.
Rupala said he has visited five states to assess the situation and oversee containment operations. The ministry is monitoring the situation daily. The minister asserted that ‘Goat Pox Vaccine’ is “very effective” and available, and asked state governments to speed up the vaccination process.
(WITH PTI INPUTS)
