BHOPAL: The outbreak of the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) virus has hit cattle in half of Madhya Pradesh.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting over the situation where he was informed that 7,686 cattle in 26 out of the 52 districts have so far been infected by the viral ailment. While 5,432 cattle have recovered, 101 have succumbed to the disease in 12 districts.
Most deaths have happened in districts bordering Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Maximum 17 deaths occurred in Khandwa, 15 each in Mandsaur and Neemuch, 13 deaths in Betul, 10 each in Burhanpur and Ujjain and seven each in Ratlam and Alirajpur. Cattle deaths due to LSD have also happened in Jhabua, Harda, Indore and Bhind districts.
“The situation is alarming. We need to combat the outbreak with the same seriousness as we fought Covid pandemic,” Chouhan said in the meeting. At the meeting, which was attended by field officials of the animal husbandry department, Chouhan directed an accelerated pace of vaccination of cattle. He also ordered formation of a state disease control room, accessible by phone.
State Congress chief Kamal Nath accused the government of ignoring the alarming spread of LSD, and instead focussing on the Cheetah event. “Instead of focussing on the cows, the government has been busy with the Cheetah event,” Nath tweeted.