An endemic infectious Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has been found in 10,375 head of cattle and buffaloes in Kalaburagi district.

Veterinary Officer (Technical) Yellappa S. Ingle has said that 5,250 cases have been reported from Chincholi taluk, followed by Sedam taluk with 1,720 cases, Jewargi taluk 1,135 cases, Kalaburagi 1,010 cases, Aland taluk 990 cases and Chitapur taluk with 270 cases. No such cases have been reported in Afzalpur taluk so far.

Dr. Ingle said that the infection shows large variations in clinical presentation ranging from large skin nodules covering the entire body, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, nasal discharge and lachrymation, poor growth, reduced milk production, infertility, and at times, death in cattle. However, the district has not reported a single death due to the disease, he added.

In India, the disease was initially reported in North India and then, it spread to the other parts of the country. The State reported such cases most recently. In the Kalyana Karnataka region, the disease appeared in cattle in parts of Yadgir district towards the end of July and it spread across Kalaburagi and Bidar districts in the second week of August.

Officials of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Department have been conducting training for all field veterinarians in 214 taluk and hobli veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in the district. These veterinarians would conduct awareness programmes to educate farmers to contain the disease.

“At present, the district has 5,64,369 livestock (including cattle and buffaloes) of which less than 2 % have been affected. The department officials are engaged in creating awareness on animal health care and help combat the viral disease among cattle,” Dr. Ingle added.