Lumpy skin disease: 98,500 head of cattle vaccinated

Patiala, March 11

Having learnt lessons from the past year when around 1.74 lakh cattle got affected with the lumpy skin disease (LSD) and thousands of cows died in the state, the administration has so far vaccinated 98,500 cattle, ahead of the summer season.

A total of 1.20 lakh doses were administered from February 15 to March 11, which means 82.08 per cent work has been completed.

Last year around 18,000 cattle in the state , mainly cows, had died from LSD and around 1.74 lakh cattle were affected. Following the spread of the viral disease, the state government had directed the district administrations to temporarily shut down cattle mandis and fairs in the state. The government had also restricted transport of cattle.

The administration had decided to start with a vaccination drive, ahead of the summer season, after Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney visited various villages. She decided to hold a special drive in advance to save the cattle.

The DC said the Animal Husbandry Department started with the drive on February 15. She said as many as 45 teams were formed under senior veterinary officers in the six tehsils of Patiala. “These teams visited all households and vaccinated the cows and cattle above the age of four months,” she said.

Officials said mostly the indigenous cows were affected by the disease last year, but later, infections were also reported from gaushalas and dairy farms across the state. “The disease is caused by a virus of the capripox genus. It spreads rapidly among cows and buffaloes through flies, mosquitoes and ticks,” an expert said.