Indore: Inadequate supply of vaccine hits lumpy prevention drive

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): While the escalating number of cases of lumpy skin disease and cattle deaths in Semda village, Depalpur, has sent officials of the district administration and veterinary department into a tizzy, the shortage of goat pox vaccine has slowed down the vaccination drive of cattle to save them from the deadly disease.

The number of cows in Indore district is around 2.5 lakh, while buffaloes number over 1.5 lakh. However, only 17,000 head of cattle have been vaccinated in the district, so far, while the veterinary department is waiting for a stock of 27,000 more doses of vaccine.

Meanwhile, the administrative officials said they had completed the survey in the affected areas and found about 82 head of cattle suffering from lumpy skin disease.

“We’ve kept the affected animals in isolation and started symptomatic treatment,” SDM Ravi Verma told the media. The official confirmed the deaths of 22 animals from lumpy skin disease and denied that the reason for the death of another cow in Semda village was due to the spread of the contagious disease in the animals.

On the other hand, villagers continued to claim that over 40 head of cattle had died due to skin disease in the animals.