Lumpy skin disease strikes cattle in Assam

 Vaccination drive begins; Centre provides 10 lakh vaccines

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Vector-borne lumpy skin disease has struck livestock, mainly cattle, in the state that is yet to recover fully from African Swine Fever. To fight the disease, the Centre has provided over 10 lakh vaccines to the state.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora reviewed the activities of the department yesterday. With the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in the state figuring up at the meeting, the Minister instructed the officials to speed up the vaccination drive to keep the disease at bay.

According to veterinarians, lumpy skin disease first ocurred in Assam in 2020 in the Karimganj district for the first time. The disease has spread now in the state, especially in the Nagaon and Morigaon districts. Cows have badly come under the attack of the disease. The major symptoms of the disease include raised skin nodules develop around the head, neck, genitals and limbs; scabs develop in the centre of the nodules after which the scabs fall off, leaving large holes that may become infected. Swelling of the limbs, brisket, and genitals may occur. Miscarriage is common among infected pregnant cattle.

Mosquitoes and flies spread the disease from infected cattle to other cattle. Severely infected cattle may face death.

According to the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary sources, the vaccines have been sent to all the districts with instructions to the field staff to carry out the vaccination drive. The cattle owners need not make any payment for the vaccines.

Keeping cattle neat and clean is a precautionary measure to keep the disease at bay.

Infected cattle should be kept tethered in isolation so as not to let the disease spread to other cattle.

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