Director Animal Husbandry and Dairy Dr R.K. Mehia has directed the Deputy Directors of the border districts of Alirajpur, Jhabua, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Rajgarh and Burhanpur to be especially vigilant in dealing with lumpy skin disease in cattle.
He told that continuous monitoring is being done by assistant veterinary surgeons and Assistant Veterinary Field Officers posted in border area veterinary institutions, main village unit, Render Pest Unit etc. by visiting their area every day. Continuous treatment and vaccination are also being done.
Dr Mehia informed that with the confirmation of lumpy disease in animals of Ratlam, Ujjain, Mandsaur and Khandwa districts of Madhya Pradesh. Besides symptoms have also been found in Indore, Dhar, Burhanpur, Neemuch and Betul districts. In view of the seriousness of the situation,, a control room has been established in the State Animal Disease Investigation Laboratory, Bhopal last month.
The telephone number of the control room operating from 10 am to 6 PM is 0755-2767583.
On finding symptoms, all the departmental officers/employees are asked to adopt all bio-security, bio-safety, Vector, control measures and send samples immediately to lab. Instructions have been given to perform ring vaccination and goat pox vaccine, within a radius of 5 km from the place with the symptoms of the disease. The ban on movement of animals in the districts bordering Gujarat and Rajasthan will continue effectively.
Dr. Mehia told that Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral disease of animals, which is spread by Pox virus in animals.
This disease is spread from one animal to another through mosquitoes, flies and ticks etc. Being non- zoonotic, there is no risk of this infection in humans.
Most infected animals recover within 2 to 3 weeks, but the decline in milk productivity persists for several weeks. The mortality rate is one to 5 percent and infectivity is 10 to 20 percent.
Animals infected with lumpy disease should be immediately separated from healthy animals. Along with taking necessary steps for the prevention of flies and mosquitoes in the infected area, there should be a complete ban on the movement of animals from other areas, sale of animal, animal exhibition, animal related games etc.
Veterinarians have been asked to follow all protective measures while taking samples of infected animals.