KARACHI: According to the latest reports, as many as 250 animals have died due to the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) that has infected over 28,000 animals across Sindh.
The Ojha Campus of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) hosted a seminar that addressed common misconceptions about the disease. The Association of Molecular and Microbial Sciences organised the event.
Livestock Director-General Dr Nazir Hussain Kalhoro said. “Except for five districts, lumpy skin disease has spread to all the districts of Sindh, but it is only infecting cows while other livestock, including buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels, have not contracted the disease. Infected cows stop producing milk while we consume buffaloes’ milk, which is safe and does not carry the disease or virus.”
He went on to say that up till March 23, 2022, roughly 28,857 cows in Sindh have been infected with the LSD, with about 250 of them dying. “Lumpy skin illness is being characterised on social media as an infectious sickness or a human-death condition, which is not accurate,” he stated.
Earlier the livestock secretary said that the lumpy skin disease had appeared in animals in Punjab and Sindh.
According to reports, this disease has been present in several parts of the world since 2012, and it has already spread to India, Iran, and Pakistan.
The chief secretary decided to initiate a vaccination drive in the afflicted districts, and the livestock department was ordered to vaccinate the diseased animals.
With the support of the district administration, the chief secretary also asked the livestock authorities to spray mosquito repellant in and around cow farms, as well as educate cattle owners about the disease.
He suggested that, in addition to vaccination, cattle should be given other skin medications and that transportation of animals from the affected areas be halted.
The livestock department has also set up a helpline desk (0229201913) in Hyderabad.
