India's cattle population is still suffering from Lumpy Skin Disease, which has a mortality rate touching 70,000 now. In order to prevent the disease from spreading, the Uttar Pradesh government decided to ban the trade of cattle with four neighbouring states and impose a "lockdown" on the movement of animals inside the state from 28 districts.
The Animal Husbandry Minister, Raj Kishore Singh in the Uttar Pradesh government also informed that the lumpy skin disease has now spread to animals in 14 states of the country and is “as deadly to animals as coronavirus is to humans”.
The disease infiltrated Uttar Pradesh through states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, the minister said during the ongoing session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
"The interstate borders have been sealed up to prevent the movement of cattle," he said. The minister also informed that 26,197 cows have been infected in the state with the disease out of which 16,872 are being treated.
In western Uttar Pradesh, he said that 28 districts in the divisions of Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Bareilly are impacted by this disease. In order to prevent the disease from spreading from western to eastern Uttar Pradesh, he claimed, "a lockdown has been imposed on the movement of cattle."
Additionally, Singh mentioned that Lucknow has a control room for relief and rescue, with helpline numbers, 18001805141 and 0522-2741992.
The infectious viral disease lumpy skin disease affects cattle and results in fever, skin nodules, and death. The disease is spread via mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps through direct contact with cattle as well as contaminated food and water. In July 2019, the disease spread to China, Bangladesh, and India.
The "goat-pox" vaccine, which is currently being used in India to prevent the virus, is proving to be 100 percent successful, according to experts from the health ministry. India has 192.5 million cattle and produces 210 million tonnes of milk annually, making it the world's largest milk producer.
