Locals demand action on Lumpy Skin Disease

Alleged lack of attention from govt and Livestock Department has aggravated the situation

VEHARI:

The spread of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) among the livestock has caused panic in the district. The disease claimed animals with no arrangements in place by the Livestock and Dairy Development Department. Cattle farmers are worried and demands are being made of higher authorities to start taking notice.

According to the details, after Cholistan, the fast spreading virus has appeared in different villages such as Ada Chakrala, 105 WB, 87 WB, 155 WB, 159 WB and other areas.

Bashir Advocate, Riaz Ahmed Bhatti, Rao Muhammad Saleem and others protested and highlighted how LSD is a skin disease that affects cattle and buffaloes, with sometimes lethal results.

They described the stages of the illness, with chicken pox-like boils forming on the body of the animal in the first stage. As the disease progresses, the animals stop eating and drinking.

Despite frequent reports, no doctor has come from the Vehari Livestock Department yet, while the vaccine is expensive and beyond the reach of the average farmer. They demanded official treatment of these animals and for the government to take strong measures to prevent LSD.

Locals demanded that Punjab chief minister, chief secretary, Secretary Livestock Punjab, Additional Secretary Livestock South Punjab Commissioner Multan and Deputy Commissioner Vehari take immediate notice of the situation. Additionally, livestock teams must be sent to these villages to assess the situation and vaccinate the infected animals immediately.

Following the nationwide outbreaks of LSD, the Livestock Department has been active in imparting advice to farmers on how to handle their livestock, while the provincial government has been working on deploying vaccines to affected regions.

Earlier this week, Deputy Director Livestock Department Dr Jamshed Akhtar gave detailed briefings to farmers in South Punjab regarding the disease. Transmission, symptoms and origins of the disease were discussed.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Livestock Secretary stated that over 385,000 doses of the vaccine had been delivered across the country.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2022.