Lumpy skin disease alarm in Yamunanagar, 22 head of cattle dead, 4,705 infected

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, August 7

As many as 22 head of cattle have died of lumpy skin disease in the past six days in Yamunanagar district.

Dos & don’ts to be kept in mind

Besides paying special attention to sanitation, the dairy farmers should isolate the infected cattle immediately. The disposal of the dead animals should be done properly by burying the carcass in pits. Dr Satbir Singh, SDO, Jagadhri & Bilaspur, Animal husbandry department

Besides, as many as 4,705 head of cattle (mostly cross-breed cows) have been infected with this viral disease.

According to information, the disease has been reported from 275 villages — 120 of Radaur, 80 of Jagadhri and 75 of Bilaspur subdivision — of the district. The highest deaths have been reported from Jagadhri subdivision (11), followed by Radaur (10). However, the death rate is low in Bilaspur subdivision, where only one casualty has been reported after the outbreak of the disease.

Also, 2,755 head of cattle were found infected with the disease in Radaur subdivision, followed by Jagadhri (1,357) and Bilaspur (593). As per the information, the first case of lumpy skin disease was reported in Ghilaur village of the Radaur area in mid-July and the first death was in Sudhail village of the district on August 2.

The disease outbreak has led to stress among dairy farmers. “With the spread of the disease, the milk yield is reducing. Besides, the death toll is also increasing. It is difficult to buy cattle for a dairy farmer as the rates of milch variety are skyrocketing at the moment,” said a dairy farmer.

When contacted, Dr Satbir Singh, SDO, Jagadhri and Bilaspur subdivisions, Animal Husbandry Department, said, “In all, 18 teams have been formed. These teams are visiting villages to give medicines to sick animals and to spread awareness and guide dairy farmers to tackle the disease.”

He said the disposal of the dead animals should be done properly by burying the carcasses and digging pits. “Also, the milk produced by the infected cattle is safe for human intake, but it should be boiled before use.”

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