House Panel Questions Government Data on Lumpy Disease in Cattle

20 Dec 2023

Context: Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing questions Union Governments data on cattle affected and died due to Lumpy Disease.

Addressing Lumpy Disease: Urgent Measures Needed

As per Union Animal Husbandry Ministry’s data : 1,85,841 cattle died, while 32,73,762 infected and 30,30,747 recovered.
Data integrity: The panel recommended for the proper compilation of data on the spread of infection and mortality of cattle from LSD to prevent under reporting of cases,
A national framework for compensation: Affected owners of livestock should be provided with compensation on the lines of the State governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
A policy for disposal: Government should frame a national policy for ‘recovery and carriage process’ for the disposal of carcasses and make it seamless through an app or helpline.
Vaccine for Lumpy Disease: The panel desired for obtaining speedy regulatory approvals for commercial production of ‘Lumpi-ProVacInd’ vaccine.

About Lumpy Disease

It is a Viral disease caused by Poxvirus, transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito or tick.
It was first identified in an outbreak in Zambia in 1929.
It can spread through saliva and nasal secretions
It is not a Zoonotic disease,meaning it cannot affect humans.
Treatment: It has no direct antiviral treatment, instead, the infected animals receive supportive care, which involves use of antibiotics.