The Minister for Animal Husbandry in the Uttar Pradesh government also informed that the lumpy skin disease has now spread to animals in 14 states of the country and it is "fatal to animals like coronavirus is to humans".
Speaking during the ongoing session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the minister informed that the disease entered Uttar Pradesh through states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
"In view of this, the import of animals has been banned by sealing the interstate borders for cattle movement," he said.
The minister also informed that 26,197 cows have been infected in the state with the disease, with 16,872 being treated.
He said 28 districts of Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad, and Bareilly divisions are affected by this disease in western Uttar Pradesh. "So a lockdown has been imposed on the movement of cattle" to prevent the spread of the disease from western UP to eastern UP, he said.
Singh also informed about a control room for relief and rescue in Lucknow and the helpline numbers are 18001805141 and 0522-2741992.
Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle and causes fever, skin nodules, and death. Mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps spread the disease through direct contact with cattle as well as contaminated food and water. The disease entered India, Bangladesh and China in July 2019.
Currently, India is using the ‘goat-pox’ vaccine against the virus which is proving to be completely effective according to the health ministry officials.
India has a cattle population of 192.5 million and the country is also the largest producer of milk in the world producing 210 million tonnes of milk.
