New Delhi: Around 100,000 cows and buffaloes have died and more than 200,000 are suffering from the disease due to the outbreak of lumpy skin disease in cattle in 15 states of India.
According to a foreign news agency, the Lumpini skin virus has spread to at least 15 states where the number of deaths in cows and buffaloes has doubled in the last three weeks. Being infected with this virus can not only cause the death of the animal but also affects the production of milk and due to weakness in the animal there are problems in giving birth.
Farmers in India have already suffered severe losses due to severe weather conditions. Wheat production was very low in April this year and now this virus has added to the woes of farmers.
Lumpy skin virus is spread by insects that suck blood, such as mosquitoes or ticks. Infected cows and buffaloes develop blisters on the skin followed by fever. The virus has most affected smallholder farmers who have preferred to raise livestock to avoid the effects of climate change.
Lumpy skin disease is a very serious problem that has increased over the years, says Devendra Sharma, an agronomist in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. The number of animals affected by this disease is much higher than the government data.
Narendra Mohan Singh, Director of the Department of Livestock of the State of Rajasthan, says that this is an infectious disease that is spreading from the western states to the east.
In the state of Himachal Pradesh, the affected farmers also appealed to the government for financial assistance. It first appeared in South Asia and has since spread to India, China and Nepal. Earlier in 1929, the first case of Lumpy Skin was recorded in Zambia, which later spread to other African countries and has now been recorded in some parts of Europe.
