The Uttar Pradesh government has also banned cattle trade with four neighbouring states and also imposed a “lockdown” on the intrastate movement of animals from 28 districts to prevent the spread of Lumpy Skin Disease, Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh said Friday.
The minister told the Assemby that the viral disease entered Uttar Pradesh through states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. He also said the LSD had spread to animals in 14 states of the country and it is “fatal to animals like coronavirus” is to human.
He said 26,197 cows have been infected with the disease in the state out of which 16,872 have been treated.
Jammu and Kashmir government had on Thursday imposed a complete ban on import of bovine animals from neighboring states till 25 October in the wake of the LSD affecting cattle under Section 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases Act, 2009.
Lumpy Skin Disease is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle and causes fever, reduced milk production, skin nodules, loss of appetite, increased nasal discharge and watery eyes, and can also lead to death. The disease gets spread by mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps by direct contact among the cattle, and through contaminated food and water.
Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna told reporters on Thursday that A total of 20,505 cases of lumpy skin disease were registered in the state, out of which 8,028 were fully cured and 341 animals died
Meanwhile opposition Congress MLAs on Thursday walked out of the Gujarat Assembly after Speaker Nimaben Acharya denied permission for a discussion on the spread of lumpy skin disease among cattle.
Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Minister Lalchand Kataria on Wednesday said the state government is working with full sensitivity and alertness to tackle the lumpy skin disease affecting cattle in the state.
He said also that chief minister Ashok Gehlot had written to the prime minister on 29 August urging that the lumpy skin disease should be declared an epidemic so that animal owners and gaushalas can be compensated for the death of bovines due to the virus.
