Punjab is battling a new type of disease named ‘Goat Pox’. Goat pox vaccine has been administered to more than 50,000 animals in Punjab to prevent the spread of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle.
Cases of lump skin disease have been observed in the northern state especially in cows.
Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said that more than 2.33 lakh doses of goats have been arranged and 1.67 lakh doses have been distributed in the districts and affected areas.
“District Deputy Directors of the Department have been directed to immediately contact the Head Office for any requirement Vaccination So that there is no hindrance in the vaccination campaign.”
He said that a total of 673 teams of veterinary officers and inspectors have been constituted by the department and they are continuously engaged in vaccination and awareness campaign.
Yesterday, the Punjab government procured 66,000 doses of goat pox vaccine from Hyderabad to prevent the spread of lumpy skin disease in cattle in the state.
Not only Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Andaman, Nicobar Islands and Uttarakhand are also vulnerable to the outbreak of goat pox. Lumpy skin disease was initially reported in Odisha in September 2019.
Till Saturday, more than 400 cattle have died and around 20,000 cows have been infected in Punjab due to the lumpy skin disease in a month. Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Jalandhar, Moga and Muktsar were among the most affected districts of the state.
Lumpy skin disease infects cows and buffaloes mainly through vectors such as blood-feeding insects. This leads to the formation of lumps on the skin or skins of the animal that look like lumps, fever, runny nose, reduced milk production and difficulty in eating.
Bhullar said that free doses of vaccine would be given to healthy animals. He added Rs 76 lakh has been distributed to all the districts and veterinary officers have also been deputed to help the field staff. He urged the farmers to bury the dead body and not to throw it in the open. The minister also asked them not to buy cattle from other states. The Center is also assisting the affected states in conducting training and vaccination as per the demand submitted by the states.
catch all business News, market news, today’s fresh news events and breaking news Updates on Live Mint. download mint news app To get daily market updates.