3,600 head of cattle to be vaccinated in Kolhapur district

KOLHAPUR: The lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) has infected many livestock animals in as many as five villages across Kolhapur district.
Once infected by the virus, the animals get lumps on their skin along with high fever. According to animal husbandry department, as many as 16 cows have been infected by the LSDV so far.
It has come to fore that one of the infected cows was recently bought from Gujarat where such cases are on the rise over the last couple of weeks and several infected animals have succumbed to the infection.
Y A Pathan, deputy commissioner of Kolhapur animal husbandry department, said, “The virus mostly infects indigenous and cross-breed cows. Buffaloes are not infected by the LSDV as they are resistant to the infection. No deaths due to the virus has been reported in the district.”
He added, “The district does not have any previous history of the disease. Since we have large production of milk, we have stepped up efforts to stop the spread of the infection. The state has provided us with 10,200 doses of the vaccine. We have initiated vaccination of the cattle in a five-kilometre radius of the villages where the cases have reported.”
In the first phase 3,600 head of cattle will be vaccinated. Since the infected animal suffers from high fever, the production of milk declines drastically. However, production becomes normal once the cattle is cured.