PremiumAfter African swine fever which killed over 1,000 pigs in Jharkhand, rising cases of lumpy skin disease have been infecting cattle in the eastern state, raising concern of the animal husbandry department
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Concerns of animal husbandry department in Jharkhand are rising as the cattle rearers of the state are witnessing rise in the cases of lumpy skin disease in animals. Earlier African swine fever had killed over 1,000 pigs in the eastern state.
Fortunately, according to an official, no death of bovine animals due to the viral infection has been reported from the districts so far.
Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral disease that spreads among cattle through mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps by direct contact, and also through contaminated food and water. The disease causes fever and nodules on the skin, and it can be fatal.
The disease rising in Jharkhand has already spread across 7 states on the country. More than 22,000 animals in Rajasthan, mainly cows, had died due to the infectious lumpy skin disease.
Vipin Bihari Mahta who is the Director of Institute of Animal Health and Production, told PTI, “We have received some cases of lumpy skin disease from Ranchi and Deoghar districts."
The animal husbandry department has issued an advisory to all 24 districts and asked them to send samples to check the spread of disease.
Mehta pointed that the disease was reported in the state last year too but the cases were less in number. He said, “This year, the cases are rising. We have asked the dairy farmers to keep the cattle, showing symptoms of the disease, in isolation."
Speaking on the symptoms of disease, he added, “The symptoms include skin nodules of about two to five cm, high fever, reduced milk production, loss of appetite, and watery eyes."
Mahta said, “The best part is we now have a vaccine to control the disease."
The spread of the lumpy skin disease is a serious concern because the Centre recently reported, 57,000 cattle have died so far due to the disease which has spread to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
With respect to African swine fever (ASF), the situation is under control and the death rate has also reduced in the state. At the Kanke-based government pig breeding farm in Ranchi, there were around 1,100 pigs before the outbreak of ASF. “There are only 300 pigs at the farm now," an official said.