The Animal Husbandry Department has administered nearly 60000 doses of anti Lumpy Disease vaccination doses to cattle, even as more 15000 doses of vaccine would reach Ramban by this week for further distribution across the district.
As per the Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Dr Bharat Bhushan, a massive vaccination drive has been launched in the district to control and prevent disease and Rapid response teams are in the field to vaccinate and treat the animals.
The first case of LSD in district Ramban was reported at Village Seri on August 18, 2022 and a total 338 cases of LSD have been reported so far, while 11 deaths due to the disease have also been recorded.
Despite many challenges, the department is providing treatment to the maximum number of cattle at the doorsteps of the farmers across the district. The disease is well under control and only a few sporadic cases are being reported in the district, Dr. Bharat informed.
The CAHO informed that Lumpy Skin Disease is caused by Capri Pox virus which is transmitted by Blood Feeding insects such as flies, mosquitoes and ticks, symptoms of the disease are fever firm raised nodules on the skin edema of limbs etc.
It can be prevented by movement control disinfection of sheds with 1-2 % sodium hypochlorite and control of vectors with insecticidal sprays. Vaccination against the disease is the best remedy for the prevention of LSD. The vaccine available against the disease is goat pox.
He further added that there was no specific antiviral drug against the disease but treatment is supportive, directed at preventing and controlling secondary bacterial infection with antibiotics, antipyretics and supportive B- complexes etc.
Other non-conventional treatment is oral drenching with 1-2% methylene blue and autohemotherapy Lumpy skin disease is not a zoonotic disease meaning it does not spread from Animal to humans, hence, it is very much safe to drink milk of LSD infected Cows, the CAHO added.