Saurabh Bahuguna directs officials to take effective measures to control Lumpy Skin infection
By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 10 Aug: In view of the lumpy skin diseases of the cattle spreading in various states, an alert has been issued in Uttarakhand too. It appears that the highly infectious disease the Lumpy Skin Viral disease seems to have entered in Uttarakhand too. As per the information reaching the State Animal Husbandry Department, 35 cattle are reported to have died in Haridwar district, while more than a thousand cattle are said to be infected with lumpy skin disease.
In view of this, Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna held a meeting with the departmental officers today. In the meeting, along with issuing the necessary guidelines to the officials, he also directed the officials to pay special attention towards vaccination of the cattle to prevent Lumpy Say No To Polythene Skin infection.
It may be recalled that the highly contagious viral infection has spread very rapidly in various states of the country and in the early stages of lumpy disease animals, symptoms like smallpox, runny nose, high fever are seen on the skin of the cattle. The virus causes very high fever in animals. Once fever attacks, the endurance of the cattle is drastically affected and then after a few days, rashes and then lesions start appearing on the cattle’s bodies and the viral infection spreads rapidly from one to another animal on coming in contact with the infected animal. This disease can be spread by flies, mosquitoes and other insects through blood sucking.
Animal Husbandry Minister Saurabh Bahuguna held a meeting for the prevention of lumpy disease spreading in the animals in Uttarakhand. After the meeting, Minister Bahuguna informed that in Haridwar district, 35 animals had died due to this disease. Along with this, lumpy disease had been detected in over one thousand other cattle in Haridwar district. In the meeting, the minister has also given instructions to the officers to procure 30,000 vaccines. Bahuguna also sought information from the CDOs of all the districts through video conferencing. While directing them to take immediate necessary measures for the prevention of lumpy disease, the minister also directed the department to form a task force for the infected zones, taking emergency steps regarding the infection.
