5 to 25 cases of nodular skin disease have been reported in each village in the districts of Rayalaseema region in the recent past.
Officials in Rayalaseema are on alert regarding its impact goat pox vaccinethat is being given to affected cattle lumpy skin disease In the field, the response is reportedly not satisfactory as some vaccinated cattle were affected again.
The disease has affected white milch cattle in all the districts of Rayalaseema. Between 5 and 25 cases of lumpy dermatitis have been reported in each village in the districts of the region.
The Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University has sent a four-member team to Anantapur district on Wednesday to visit Reddipalli, where two deaths were recorded in the last two days. The team will also visit Peddappuru village. Among the cattle affected was the Ongole breed, which is known to be disease-resistant.
While there is no vaccine yet for lumpy skin disease, experts recommend goat pox vaccination for cattle because the symptoms of both lumpy skin and goat pox are similar.
In Anantapur, out of a population of 2.1 lakh white cattle, 57 cases of lumpy skin disease have been reported so far and 13 deaths have been recorded. In Kurnool district, which has a population of 2.35 lakh cattle of non-descriptive and indigenous breeds, 40 deaths have been reported. Ten deaths were recorded in Sri Sathya Sai district where 25 cases have been reported. Of the 50 cases in Nandyal district, 15 have died. Kurnool’s Joint Director Animal Husbandry K.K. Ramachandraiah said that the goat pox vaccine has been administered to 80% of the eligible population and another 4 lakh doses have been sent to goats for vaccination even though no symptoms were observed in the goats.
Anantapur Joint Director AV Ratnam Kumar and Sri Sathya Sai District Joint Director Animal Husbandry Subrahmanyam said some non-descriptive breeds, including the Ongole breed, were the worst affected.
P. Ramanaya, Joint Director, Nandyal, said new cases were seen in Sitaramapuram and Rudravaram on Tuesday, but some cattle had responded well to treatment.
The cattle had come to Rudravaram from Telangana districts and all the cattle were found to have Lumpy Skin Disease.