Cattle rearers in Odisha are concerned about the Lumpy disease’s spread

Cattle farmers in Odisha are becoming increasingly concerned about the prevalence of Lumpy skin disease among cattle.According to sources, lumpy skin is a viral illness that affects cattle and is spread by ticks, certain types of flies, mosquitoes, and other blood-feeding insects. Particularly in animals that have never been exposed to the virus before, it can also result in mortality and cause fever and skin nodules.

In the meantime, the illness epidemic has sparked fear among livestock herders in the villages of Mundamarai, Kusaraba, Bariguda, Talapatna, Haripur, and Pratapur in the Dharakote block of the Ganjam district. What is even more pitiful is that the affected cattle grazers have turned to sorcery and other rituals to heal the diseased cattle and birds rather than taking the animals to veterinary clinics.They were spotted praying in temples and asking sorcerers for assistance to save their domestic animals, particularly cattle.

The disease has also surfaced in Basudevpur block of Bhadrak and Niali block of Cuttack district, in addition to Dharakote and Sanakhemundi blocks of Ganjam district. When contacted, Agriculture Minister Ranedra Pratap Swain stated, “Due to cow smuggling from neighbouring states to our state, lumpy skin disease is spreading in our state alarmingly.” The state government has blamed the disease’s expansion on the movement of cattle to nearby states.

The state’s government is monitoring it. In order to contain the sickness, the government has established control rooms in each district. The departmental officers have been directed to adhere to precautions to stop the spread of the illness. 5 lakh of the 15 lakh cattle that will be vaccinated by the government have already received the vaccine.