Lumpy skin disease: 20 more animals die in a day

KARACHI: As many as 156 animals have died owing to an infectious disease of lumpy skin among cattle in Karachi, the provincial task force said in its report.

According to the report, as many as 955 new cases of lumpy skin have been detected by the authorities, bringing the tally of affected cattle to 24,182.

The skin disease has also led to the death of 20 animals in a day, the task force said in its report and added that a total of 6,975 animals have also recovered from the disease.

Previously, the Sindh government decided to 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 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.

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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.