Minister Rai said a meeting was held with officials of the animal husbandry department to take precautionary measures against the infection. (file)A total of 173 cases of lumpy skin disease have been identified among cows in Delhi so far, Minister for Environment Gopal Rai said, adding that most of the cases have been reported in South and West Delhi.
“In the Goyla Dairy area, 45 cows have symptoms. In Rewla Khanpur, 40 cows have symptoms, 21 in Ghumanhera, 16 in Najafgarh, and stray cases have also been identified in some areas,” Rai said. The contagious disease, which has also led to cattle deaths, has been reported from Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Its symptoms include fever, nodules on the cow’s skin, watery eyes and loss of weight.
Minister Rai said a meeting was held with officials of the animal husbandry department to take precautionary measures against the infection. “The advice of doctors is that cows with symptoms need to be isolated to prevent further infection. Two mobile vet clinics have been ordered for emergency treatment of the animals. Eleven rapid response teams have been formed to go to different areas and collect samples. Four teams have been formed for awareness campaigns,” Rai said.
A special control room (82878 48586) that will function round the clock has been set up for assistance, the minister added. “If symptoms are spotted among cows, including stray ones, people can contact this number and seek assistance. The control room can also be contacted if there is no space for the cow to be isolated. A separate ward is being set up at Rewla Khanpur for isolation and treatment of infected cows,” Rai said, adding that the situation will be monitored regularly.