Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) has struck in two blocks of Latehar. There is no report of any fatality. Latehar district animal husbandry officer Deonath Chourasia said one heifer is afflicted with LSDV in Balumath block.

The other case of LSDV is in Barwadeeh block where an ox is afflicted with LSDV said Chourasia. These two cases were brought to the notice of the administration only this Saturday.

Chourasia said although there is no reason to panic but at the same time there is no room for any complacency as well.

Owners of cattle should be wary of the LSDV as its symptoms are too glaring like nodules on the skin, fever, watery eyes, nasal discharge,  reduction in milk production, weight loss and loss of appetite, said Chourasia.

He said LSDV is no zoonotic disease nevertheless there is a caution to such people who handle lumpy skin disease suffering cattle.

The world organisation of animal health has categorised LSDV as a notifiable disease all over the world where a cattle farmer is duty bound to inform the nearest animal husbandry personnel about any incident happening to his cattle.

Sources said the LSDV has not struck for the first time as it was seen in 2019 as well in Jharkhand.

Chourasia said "I was posted in Jamshedpur in 2019.There LSDV erupted. It was then controlled with antibiotics like amoxicillin etc. But this time it is showing resistance to this kind of the antibiotics and this is a matter of concern."

There is no specific treatment for the LSDV but nevertheless goat pox vaccines are available and it has been found effective to some extent at least preventing it from becoming an outbreak.

Chourasia said we have received 15,000 rupees for the vaccination of the cattle where there is a dose of it for the infected one and non infected one.