The deadly lumpy skin disease that is seen in animals has now spread to Shahapur, Bhiwandi and Ambernath of Thane district. Blood samples of suspected animals were sent to the lab in Bhopal and 14 animals were found to be positive on Monday.
The assistant district health officer of the animal husbandry department of Thane zilla parishad, Sameer Todankar said that work on the lumpy preventive vaccination of the animals in the villages with in a 5 km radius around these animals began on Monday.
“We sent samples to the lab in Bhopal for tests and they were found to be positive for lumpy disease. Blood samples of animals from Ambernath and Bhiwandi taluka also indicated lumpy disease infections. In order tovaccinate the infectedanimals and others in their herds, the commissioner of animal husbandry has ordered to take up a vaccination drive ona war footing,” Todankar said.
A lumpy disease preventive vaccinationdrive for allthe animalswithinadistanceof 5km radius has been undertaken in Shahapur, Bhiwandi and Ambernath, and Ramesh Wadi of Badlapur. The zilla parishad has arranged for 10,000 vaccines from its own funds and will get an additional 10,000 vaccine vials from the state government,” said Todankar.
Meanwhile, Thane collector Rajesh Narvekar declared Thane district a 'controlled area' and banned the movement of cattle to and from the district to prevent further spread of the viralinfection. A total of 5,017 animals have been inoculated in the three tehsils so far.
