The Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry has asked the States to intensify the vaccination drive for cattle against lumpy skin disease (LSD), a viral infection that causes skin lesions and reduces milk production. The disease has resurfaced in several States in May, affecting more than 10,000 cattle and killing 128 in Uttarakhand alone. However, the Ministry officials and scientists have assured that the situation is under control and there is no need to panic.

They said that the severity of the infection has been curbed in comparison to last year due to the vaccination of nine crore cattle so far. The recovery rate is above 94%. The Ministry held a meeting with the States on Tuesday and reviewed the status of the disease, which has been reported from Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Sikkim. Rajasthan has not confirmed any cases yet.

The Ministry has also instructed the States to do fogging and disinfection drives in risky areas to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases during the monsoon. The disease, caused by a virus of the family Poxviridae, is transmitted through mosquitoes, flies and ticks. It was first reported in India in 2019 from Odisha. The Centre had issued a circular in March to step up the vaccination before the monsoon. Animal Husbandry Commissioner Abhijit Mitra said that the vaccines have protected the animals from the infection, which is not as contagious as it was last year. He said that without vaccination, the infection would have been much more widespread.

Regional Animal Husbandry Director Vijay Teotia said that the gravity of the infection was lower than last year as cattle have now developed herd immunity. He said that the States are following the Central guidelines on treatment and surveillance. He also said that a Central team has visited Maharashtra and another team will visit Uttarakhand and Karnataka soon to monitor the situation.

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