Authorities around the nation are on high alert as several states in the nation are dealing with a significant viral epidemic of lumpy skin disease that has already claimed 80,000 or more cattle across India. Blood-feeding insects like mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps commonly spread the disease through direct contact as well as tainted food and water.
The growth of nodules in the skin, which may cover the entire body of the animal, and lesions, which are frequently observed in the mouth and upper respiratory tract, are the disease's hallmarks.
In April, the Kutch region of Gujarat received the first reports of the sickness. Since then, it has quickly spread to states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, among others. The worst-affected state is Rajasthan, where there are 600–700 cattle deaths every day, compared to fewer than 100 in other states.
The seriousness of the outbreak is demonstrated by the approximately 21% decrease in milk output that Rajasthan has seen in August. According to a senior representative of Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF), the outbreak has had an impact on milk production, and the state's collection has decreased by 5–6 lakh litres per day.
That the virus driving the present outbreak's genome exhibited no relation to worldwide genomes or when compared to genetic sequences from prior outbreaks of the disease is cause for alarm.
In response to the state's Congress administration's failure to address the issue, the BJP staged a protest in Jaipur. According to CM Gehlot, the vaccines for the viral sickness must be distributed by the Centre. “I called a meeting on August 15 regarding lumpy skin disease and called the leaders of the opposition, talked to everyone, talked to the religious leaders, our priority is how to save the lives of cows from lumpy skin disease, but the central government will give the vaccines and medicines,” tweeted Gehlot. In Maharashtra, the government has formed a state-level task force to control the spread.
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