KARACHI - Sindh government shut down cattle markets across the province amid the emergence of the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) epidemic caused by a vector-borne virus.
The Sindh government livestock and animal husbandry department has notified the closure of cattle markets, and also advised against consuming meat and milk of infected animals. The livestock department had also advised cattle owners to separate their sick animals from healthy ones and frequently use an anti-mosquito spray to prevent animals from contracting LSD.
According to the department, the Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is spread via spit and through insects.
Experts say that the disease is new to the region, so there is no existing vaccine that can be used against it. Animals infected from the disease have been shifted to cattle farms located at the highway and Bhens colony. The fast spread of the disease and no vaccine has forced the department of livestock to temporarily shut down cattle markets across Sindh.
Meanwhile, after receipt of a letter from the Sindh Government about the spread of the deadly virus Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle, Larkana’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tarique Manzoor Chandio, has imposed a 15 days ban on livestock markets under Section 144. The owners shall not be able to take their cattle for bath in the Rice Canal and their movement will also stand banned to and from Larkana district.
The disease has been reported in farms at Sanghar, Jamshoro, Thatta, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas Hyderabad, Khairpur and Karachi. The Local Government & Housing Town Planning Department has also issued a letter to all administrators across Sindh that a complete ban has been imposed on conduct of Cattle Piris / Mall Piris in all over Sindh due to Lumpy Skin Disease Virus till further orders.
DC said that after infection, the weight loss was occured in the cattle along with reduced milk production. He added that the disease could cause fever and rashes on the body which caused death.
The disease is spread by the blood-sucking herbs in the animal, and it is infected by animals such as spiders and mosquitoes. DC further said that the disease was new in Pakistan and there was no specific treatment for it. Veterinary physicians are giving animals anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medicines for the disease. He said that the disease was not transmitted from animals to people and that it did not affect the health of human beings even after eating livestock meat. He advised the cattle owners in the Larkana district to take preventive measures to prevent the disease, use mosquito nets for animal husbandry, use masculinity for livestock and take remedial measures advised by the Sindh government.
Meanwhile, an important meeting was held at Sindh Secretariat under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah regarding Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) here on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Livestock, Director General Livestock and other officials. The Secretary Livestock said that Lumpy Skin Disease had appeared in animals in Punjab and Sindh. The disease has so far been found in 20,250 animals in the province including 15,100 in Karachi, 3,781 in Thatta, 149 in Hyderabad, 656 in Badin, 85 in Jamshoro, 121 in Khairpur, 91 in Sujawal and 2 in Tando Muhammad Khan, 64 in Matiari, 35 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 124 in Sanghar, 36 in Thana Bolakhan, 4 in Qambar Shahdad Kot and 2 in Dadu.
It was informed in the meeting that so far 54 animals had died in the province due to Lumpy Skin Disease while 4751 animals had also recovered across the province. It was further informed in the meeting that this disease had been present in different countries of the world since 2012 and this year it had appeared in India, Iran and now Pakistan.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary decided to vaccinate the animals in the affected areas and directed the Livestock Department to vaccinate the animals in the areas affected by Lampy Skin.
He said that along with vaccination of animals, other skin medicines should also be given to the animals and movement of animals from the affected areas should also be stopped. He directed the livestock authorities to spray mosquito repellent in and around cattle farms with the help of district administration and also to provide awareness to the cattle owners about Lumpy Skin disease. Officials at the meeting said the disease was unlikely to be transmitted from animals to humans. The Livestock Department has also set up a helpline desk (0229201913) in Hyderabad.
| Livestock department advised cattle owners to separate their sick animals
The Sindh government livestock and animal husbandry department has notified the closure of cattle markets, and also advised against consuming meat and milk of infected animals. The livestock department had also advised cattle owners to separate their sick animals from healthy ones and frequently use an anti-mosquito spray to prevent animals from contracting LSD.
According to the department, the Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is spread via spit and through insects.
Experts say that the disease is new to the region, so there is no existing vaccine that can be used against it. Animals infected from the disease have been shifted to cattle farms located at the highway and Bhens colony. The fast spread of the disease and no vaccine has forced the department of livestock to temporarily shut down cattle markets across Sindh.
Meanwhile, after receipt of a letter from the Sindh Government about the spread of the deadly virus Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle, Larkana’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tarique Manzoor Chandio, has imposed a 15 days ban on livestock markets under Section 144. The owners shall not be able to take their cattle for bath in the Rice Canal and their movement will also stand banned to and from Larkana district.
The disease has been reported in farms at Sanghar, Jamshoro, Thatta, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas Hyderabad, Khairpur and Karachi. The Local Government & Housing Town Planning Department has also issued a letter to all administrators across Sindh that a complete ban has been imposed on conduct of Cattle Piris / Mall Piris in all over Sindh due to Lumpy Skin Disease Virus till further orders.
DC said that after infection, the weight loss was occured in the cattle along with reduced milk production. He added that the disease could cause fever and rashes on the body which caused death.
The disease is spread by the blood-sucking herbs in the animal, and it is infected by animals such as spiders and mosquitoes. DC further said that the disease was new in Pakistan and there was no specific treatment for it. Veterinary physicians are giving animals anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medicines for the disease. He said that the disease was not transmitted from animals to people and that it did not affect the health of human beings even after eating livestock meat. He advised the cattle owners in the Larkana district to take preventive measures to prevent the disease, use mosquito nets for animal husbandry, use masculinity for livestock and take remedial measures advised by the Sindh government.
Meanwhile, an important meeting was held at Sindh Secretariat under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah regarding Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) here on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Livestock, Director General Livestock and other officials. The Secretary Livestock said that Lumpy Skin Disease had appeared in animals in Punjab and Sindh. The disease has so far been found in 20,250 animals in the province including 15,100 in Karachi, 3,781 in Thatta, 149 in Hyderabad, 656 in Badin, 85 in Jamshoro, 121 in Khairpur, 91 in Sujawal and 2 in Tando Muhammad Khan, 64 in Matiari, 35 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 124 in Sanghar, 36 in Thana Bolakhan, 4 in Qambar Shahdad Kot and 2 in Dadu.
It was informed in the meeting that so far 54 animals had died in the province due to Lumpy Skin Disease while 4751 animals had also recovered across the province. It was further informed in the meeting that this disease had been present in different countries of the world since 2012 and this year it had appeared in India, Iran and now Pakistan.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary decided to vaccinate the animals in the affected areas and directed the Livestock Department to vaccinate the animals in the areas affected by Lampy Skin.
He said that along with vaccination of animals, other skin medicines should also be given to the animals and movement of animals from the affected areas should also be stopped. He directed the livestock authorities to spray mosquito repellent in and around cattle farms with the help of district administration and also to provide awareness to the cattle owners about Lumpy Skin disease. Officials at the meeting said the disease was unlikely to be transmitted from animals to humans. The Livestock Department has also set up a helpline desk (0229201913) in Hyderabad.
| Livestock department advised cattle owners to separate their sick animals
