Maharashtra [India], September 13 (HornbillTV): As many as 43 cattle have died and 21 districts have been affected due to Lumpy virus in Maharashtra, the state’s animal husbandry department said on Tuesday.

The state government has started vaccination drives for cattle across the state. There has been no effect on milk production and consumption.

“Milk supply is not affected in Maharashtra due to this lumpy virus effect. Government has not put any restriction on abattoirs in the state”, said the department.

As per the department, “Illegal cattle transport is prohibited. However, there is no prohibition on the transportation of cattle meant for meat.”

“We have only asked for certificates of the cattle. The certificate is asked to ensure that their meat is fit for consumption by humans. We need to ensure the health of the people too”, said Animal Husbandry Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil.

A total of 42 infected cattle have died due to Lumpy Skin Disease in different districts of Maharashtra including 17 in Jalgaon, 13 in Ahmednagar, 1 in Dhule, 1 in Akola, 3 in Pune, 3 in Buldhana, 3 in Amravati, and 1 in Washim till Sunday, according to the department.

The first case of Lumpy was reported on August 4 in Chinawal village of Raver taluka of Jalgaon district.

The virus has been found only in cows and buffaloes. There is no danger to humans in using milk of animals that do not have the symptoms of the disease. Animals can be cured of the disease, however, the milk of such animals may get affected due to the virus.

The infected cattle with Lumpy have been noticed in a total of 280 villages of Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Akola, Dhule, Pune, Latur, Aurangabad, Beed, Satara, Buldana, Amravati, Osmanabad, Kolhapur, Sangli, Yeotmal, Parbhani, Solapur, Washim, Nashik and Jalna till Sunday.

As per reports, lumpy skin disease is a viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever and nodules on the skin and can lead to the death of the cattle.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit 2022 on Monday emphasised the need for universal vaccination of animals and the work India has been doing in this direction.

The Prime Minister observed that there has been a loss of livestock in many states of India due to Lumpy disease in the recent past and assured everyone that the central government, along with various state governments, is trying its level best to keep a check on it.

A vaccine has also been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly)