Pune district has recorded no new cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD), a contagious viral disease of cattle, including cows, bulls and calves. This is a positive development, as the highly pathogenic disease claimed the lives of around 200 cows alone in the Pune district last year and over 50,000 cattle deaths in Maharashtra from 2021 to December 2023.
Dr Ankush Parihar, commissioner, state animal husbandry department, said, "We have completed 80 per cent of the vaccination drive. Pune has around 8.47 lakh cattle and around 6.50 lakh have been vaccinated against LSD. This year we took preventive measures and vaccinated the cattle to stop any kind of outbreak, like the previous year, and so far we are succeeding as zero cases have been registered. We have circulated advisories to the farmers to take better care of the cattle and to maintain hygiene."
Dr VD Garje, District Animal Husbandry officer, Pune Zila Parishad, said, "Zero cases have been registered this year. We have started the pre-monsoon vaccination campaign in Pune district and we have advised farmers to take care of livestock in the rainy season. Preventive vaccinations against the following diseases have been completed to date. Also, we have completed the vaccination of 1,64,542 goats for enterotoxaemia, 4,98,625 cattle for black quarter and hemorrhagic septicemia, 6,21,742 cattle for lumpy skin disease, and 7,41,222 goats for PPR. The situation is under control; it's a positive development that no outbreak has happened this year."
