SRIKAKULAM: At least 15 cattle have been afflicted with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Srikakulam district. Officials declared alert after a cow died of LSD. District Collector Shrikesh B Latkhar conducted a special teleconference with animal husbandry, revenue, police, PR and Marketing department officials and sounded high alert in the district. The animal husbandry officials are creating awareness on the precautionary measures as well as vaccination to keep the cattle safe. They have launched a special call centre with numbers 9441603694 and 9989932801 for giving LSD-related information. Srikakulam is one of the agro and dairy-based districts in the State. According to animal husbandry officials, at least 4.59 lakh cattle, including 40,000 buffalos, are there in the district. The animal husbandry officials have identified the first LSD case in Ranastalam mandal.
They have been distributing goat pox vaccines that can improve the immunisation of the cattle to face the LSD. Dr P Mohini Kumari, assistant director, animal disease diagnostic laboratory Srikakulam, said, “Though the LSD is contagious, the mortality rate is low. As per the directions of district collector Shrikesh B Latkhar, we have been creating awareness among people on LSD. We have sufficient stock of goat pox vaccine. We have distributed at least one lakh goat pox vaccines free of cost in the district so far. We have given more than 30,000 goat pox vaccines to cattle in 45 villages in 8 mandals in Andhra-Odisha border under preventive vaccination scheme.” “We have been conducting special awareness programmes in villages and weekly shandies. I appeal to the farmers to isolate the cattle which have symptoms of LSD and inform the nearest animal husbandry officials,” the official added.
Viral disease
The lumpy skin disease is an infectious viral disease of cattle, which often occurs in epizootic form. Lumpy skin disease is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a virus of the capripoxvirus genus in the poxviridae family. LSD is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death. The LSD was restricted to Africa earlier. LSD entered India in July 2019.