As many as 990 outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD), an infectious viral disease that mainly affects cattle, have been reported in the state since May this year, affecting around 40,000 bovines of which around 1,000 died, a senior official of the Gujarat government said, adding the government is aggressively vaccinating livestock in the affected districts. Chief Mininster Bhupendra Patel is scheduled to chair a meeting on Tuesday to review the situation. “The first outbreak was reported from Kaiyari village in Lakhpat taluka of Kutch in May this year. Since then, the number of outbreaks of this infectious disease has gone up to 990,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “As per protocol, even a single case of the disease in a village has to be treated as an outbreak. Hence the number looks on the higher side,” the official added. This is the third consecutive year in which LSD outbreaks are reported in Gujarat. Cases of the viral disease first came to light in the state from Kheda and Anand in 2020-’21 but the state animal husbandry department managed to contain the virus to these two districts in central Gujarat. In 2021-’22, as many as 23 outbreaks of LSD were reported from Kheda, Anand, Ahmedabad, Panchmahal and Vadodara districts in central Gujarat, Surat and Tapi in south Gujarat region as well as Surendranagar in Saurashtra region. The disease had claimed a few animals but the government managed to control it eventually while vaccinating 23,000 cattle in all, according to the official. “This year, the virus seems to be more contagious, may be due to persistent rain,” the official said adding that the government has treated around 40,000 animals free of cost, while around 1,000 livestock heads succumbed to the virus. “To control the disease, we are doing disease survey and treatment on campaign mode. We are also vaccinating healthy cattle in affected areas on campaign mode,” the official said, adding, “As per the protocol, we are vaccinating cattle in five-kilometre radius where an outbreak has been reported by administering them doses of goat pox vaccine.” LSD virus mainly affects cow and its progeny but can also afflict buffaloes with low immunity levels. “We have enough stock of goat pox vaccine and we are giving stocks to district-level authorities in affected areas. This vaccine is produced domestically,” the official added. State Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel said, “Today (Monday), the chief secretary of the state held a meeting with the secretary of our department. Tomorrow, the honourable CM will hold a meeting to review the situation and suggest steps to control the outbreak.” The minister added that the government has around two lakh doses of goat pox vaccine and was in the process of procuring more doses.
