About 3,000 cattle in Rajasthan and Gujarat perished from the viral infection lumpy skin disease in August.
Cattle are particularly susceptible to the highly infectious viral illness known as lumpy skin disease (LSD). As of Thursday, the Centre said that it had been responsible for the deaths of about 57,000 cattle throughout the country. Currently, the number of afflicted animals exceeds 15,21,000 strong. Cases have been documented in at least seven different Indian states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi.
It has been suggested that the United States take active measures to quarantine affected animals and halt the spread of the illness. The state governments of Rajasthan and Gujarat have set up district-level control centres to monitor the spread of the disease and launch effective prevention programs, but the epidemic is still gaining momentum there. About 3,000 cattle in these two states perished from the virus in August.
In a press release, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the Chief Minister had ordered government employees to raise public awareness about the sickness and remain in their respective areas of duty in order to provide individuals with immediate help.
What are the causes?
Infectious illness in cattle and buffalo caused by the capripox virus, often known as lumpy skin disease (LSD). Some types of flies, mosquitoes, and ticks are responsible for its spread. In animals that have never been exposed to the virus before, it may induce a high temperature, skin nodules, and ultimately death.
What increases the risk?
The condition known as Lumpy Skin Disease cannot be cured. Once vectors (fly, etc.) are in a region, it is difficult to prevent further attacks on cattle. By engaging in risky behaviours, people increase the likelihood that an illness may spread. In addition, the absence of a vaccination may pose an additional threat.
How can we prevent the spread?
The prevention and treatment of lumpy skin disease requires four strategies: movement restriction (quarantine), vaccination, slaughter campaigns, and management. The immunization against lumpy skin disease has already been administered to at least 97 million people. Out of them, almost 80,000 cattle were able to beat the virus. In 1962, a free hotline was set up to help dairy producers and cattle herders deal with the virus.
Can the diseases affect humans?
In other words, the illness cannot be transmitted from animals to humans, meaning that people are immune to it. Therefore, this increase in cases may not warrant much concern beyond its influence on cattle products.
In September 2020, soon before the current outbreak, a strain of LSD virus was discovered in Maharashtra, India. Cases have been reported in Gujarat over the last several years, but they haven’t spread there quite as rapidly as they have elsewhere.
