Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has begun spreading rapidly in state capital and nearby rural areas, raising serious concerns over the preparedness of civic and animal husbandry authorities.
As the Animal Husbandry Department had already issued a statewide alert after confirmed cases in the Jhabua, Ratlam, Betul, Sagar and Bhopal districts, the ground situation in the Bhopal appears serious.
According to officials, from November the cases have been confirmed by the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory in Bhopal. The department has advised cattle owners to vaccinate their animals, isolate infected cattle, and report symptoms at the earliest. Free vaccination drives and awareness campaigns have been announced to prevent further spread.
Despite these measures, cattle deaths are rising sharply in Bhopal. At the Lumpy Quarantine Centre set up by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) at the Gandhi Nagar Kanji House, 2 to 5 infected cattle are reportedly being bought every day. This year more than 200 infected cattle have been brought to the centre so far, of which over 150 have died. Only around 65 animals are said to have recovered.
Alarming conditions
Whenever any infected cattle has bought at the centre, it is found locked and employees had to be called by phone to open the centre. Locals said that, inside, 72 cattle were housed amid filth and mud, with severely ill and mildly infected animals kept together, worsening the spread of infection. Several cattle were seen writhing in pain, while some were in critical condition.
Virendra Chavaria, the quarantine centre's in-charge said that the assigned veterinary doctor Pooja Dutt visits the centre only 2–3 days a week.
BMC’s Veterinary Doctor BP Gaur said that my responsibility is only to take the animals to the centre and get the dead animals removed
