Muktsar: 886 cattle found infected with lumpy skin disease

Archit Watts

Muktsar, August 1

In all, 886 animals have got infected with lumpy skin disease (LSD) and 22 head of cattle have died in Muktsar till July 30. Ironically, the district animal husbandry office has just Rs 25,000 to take precautionary measures.

Intensify campaign

• Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on Monday instructed veterinary staff to intensify the campaign to tackle contagious lumpy skin disease
• The district-level teams have been formed to protect the livestock. A team from North Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Jalandhar, is also visiting the affected areas

Rs 50,000 allocated

The cases are mainly reported in Fazilka, Muktsar, Moga and Faridkot districts. An additional amount of Rs 50,000 has been allocated for Fazilka and other districts. — Dr Subhash Chander Goel, Director, Animal Husbandry Department

Veterinary doctors and inspectors were relying entirely on symptomatic treatment. Further, the single-shot “goat pox” vaccine to tackle the LSD causes prolonged morbidity in cows and buffaloes. Notably, the district has 105 veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, including a district-level polyclinic at Badal village. The district also has 19 cattle pounds and the total count of cattle stands at 2,29,200.

Some dairy farmers said they were paying heavy fees to private doctors as the state-run hospitals and dispensaries were not having the required vaccine. “We are running from pillar to post to buy medicines. Private doctors are charging exorbitant fees. On one hand, the rain has damaged our standing crops and, on the other, the LSD has increased our losses,” said a farmer.

Harsimran Singh Brar, a dairy farmer from Sarainaga village, said, “Due to the LSD, milk production has reduced by 30 per cent. Further, nearly 10 to 15 per cent of the cows are infected. Six head of cattle have died at my dairy due to the LSD and 15 more are infected. First case was detected around a month ago at my farm, but the department concerned did nothing.”

Meanwhile, Jagpal Singh Abulkhurana, general secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee, said: “A number of dairy farmers from Lambi have apprised me of the situation. The Animal Husbandry Department is not even having funds to tackle this rapidly spreading disease. The state government should immediately release funds, procure vaccine and launch a massive vaccination drive.”

The LSD symptoms include fever, nodules on skin, watery eyes and increased nasal and salivary secretions in cattle.

Jagsir Singh, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Muktsar, said, “Nearly 900 animals got infected with the LSD in the district. Most of them have recovered. A total of 22 deaths have been reported so far. We don’t have the vaccine and are short of medicines. We are giving symptomatic treatment to the infected animals. Dairy farmers should not panic. We are holding awareness camps in the villages.”

Dr Subhash Chander Goel, Director, Animal Husbandry Department, said: “We have issued an advisory for the dairy farmers. The cases are mainly reported in Fazilka, Muktsar, Moga and Faridkot districts. An additional amount of Rs 50,000 has been allocated for Fazilka and other districts.”

Another senior official of the Animal Husbandry Department said, “The LSD cases have been detected throughout the state. As of now, 9,000 animals are symptomatic and 46 head of cattle have died. As the post-mortem of animals was not conducted, we can’t say how many cattle died due to the LSD.”