COIMBATORE: Following the outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease in Coimbatore district, the animal husbandry department has intensified the vaccination drive on a war footing to control the spread. Also, the department has made a few suggestions to farmers on herbal treatment.
Joint Director of District Animal Husbandry Department R Perumalsamy said 1.09 lakh out of 2.63 lakh cattle in the district have been vaccinated as of Thursday. LSD is a viral disease caused by the Capripox virus that affects cattle and is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever, and nodules on the skin and can also lead to death.
Hundreds of cattle in Pollachi, Madukkarai, Perur and Thondamuthur Taluks in the district have been affected due to the disease. It is suspected that more than 40 cattle in Pollachi died due to the outbreak region due to outbreak in Pollachi taluk.Farmers claimed that vaccinations, including for FMD and LSD, was not carried out properly. "Vaccination for FMD was carried out in 2019. For the last three years it was not taken up as shortage of doses. If it could have carried out, the outbreak could be prevented earlier," they said.
"The severity of the disease is mild as far as Coimbatore is concerned and added its mutation is rare since it is a DNA virus. We have confirmed that three cattle died due to the disease but other cattle death were not confirmed by the disease. Our team has been vaccinating to boost the immune among the cattle. We have 1.90 lakh doses. Also, we have suggested following homemade herbal medicine to control the spread," Perumalsamy said.
"As per the herbal medicine, a mixer of betel leaf (10 leaves), common salt (10 grams), pepper (10 grams) and jaggery (30 gram) can be given two times a day for five days. To heal blisters on cattle, solution mixer made by Acalypha Indica, Henna, Neem, and Ocimum Sanctum which are boiled with gingelly oil can be applied externally," he added.