Jagran Institute of Management and Mass Communication, NOIDA
Jagran Institute of Management and Mass Communication, NOIDA
Lumpy skin virus is deadly viral outbreak that targets cattle. Despite vaccines, this infection is still on a killing spree of animals. Also, the vaccines have been recently development and their movement to market and administration is taking time. Rajul Tiwari presents a report.
The Punjab government has urged the Centre to include the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in National Animal Disease Control Programme. The viral outbreak has so far killed 60, 000 cattle in India. Punjab is the second state after Himachal to ask the Centre to take action against this serious epidemic among cattle. We need to know about this disease to be able to deal with it. Hence, let’s take a look.
Lumpy Skin Disease is viral outbreak that targets cattle and is transmitted by blood feeding insects like mosquitoes, flies, lice and wasps by direct contact and also, through contaminated food and water. The disease is first spotted by nodules in the skin, which cover the whole of the animal body, and lesions are often found in the mouth and upper respiratory tract. It is caused by virus in the family Poxviridae (Genus: Capripoxvirus) which affects cattle. “Agro-climates, communal grazing, biting-fly, and introduction of new animals are associated with the occurrence of lumpy skin disease.”A paper in Science Direct states.
According to National Library of Medicine at the National Centre of Biotechnology Information, the systemic effects include pyrexia, anorexia, dysgalactia and pneumonia, which leaves the animal with severe emaciation, loss of production for several months, infertility and in extreme cases, death.
After the first case of LSD got reported in Kutch, the disease has been spreading across the length and breadth of the country – the infection has spread in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Punjab, among others. Delhi has over 200 cases of the infection and most cases have been reported in the South-West Delhi districts – Goyla dairy area, Rewla Khanpur area, Ghumanhera and Najafgarh.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has asked state Animal Husbandry department officials to be alert and take steps to curb the spread of LSD among cattle.
The Nanded district administration has banned the holding of cattle markets and ordered that animals infected by LSD can’t be brought to the regular markets. Cattles are being screened for infection at border of the disctrict.
There is a vaccine against viral infection. So far, Sheepox virus and Goat pox virus based vaccines were used to counter LSD. But now, Indian scientists have an indigenous vaccine against LSD. PM Modi has shown his and country’s administration’s commitment to curb this epidemic affecting cattle in India. Kejriwal government has also taken up the task of vaccinating cattle in Delhi as soon as possible. Till there is relief, work is in progress.
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