PM directs for effective prevention of Lumpy skin disease

KATHMANDU, July 4: The government has expressed its commitment to provide all resources required for the prevention and control of contagious Lumpy skin disease among cattle. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has shown concern for the prevention and control of sporadic outbreaks of disease, which is taking the form of a pandemic.

PM Dahal issued directives to Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Dr. Beduram Bhusal and high-placed officials of the ministry to come up with effective measures for bringing the disease under control, PM secretariat shared. The Prime Minister categorically directed the concerned authorities to effectively mobilize veterinarians, increased vaccine supply and arrange necessary human resources for immediately providing inoculation services. 

So far the government has imported 737,000 doses of vaccine and supplied it to all seven provinces. According to the Department of Livestock Service, the vaccine has been administered to 172,128 cattle so far. It may be noted that the federal government has made available a budget of Rs 100,000 each to the local governments for the upcoming fiscal year for pandemic control under the conditional grant. 

According to Department's Director General Dr Samjhana Kumari Kafle, the federal government has earmarked a budget for the management of a veterinary doctor each in 161 local governments and technicians in all local governments. He further shared that 1-3 percent of infected animals might die due to the pandemic and the mortality rate can go up for lack of necessary care and primary aid. 

Lumpy skin is a contagious viral disease transmitted to cattle. The cattle with the disease develop symptoms such as high fever, loss of appetite, reduced milk output and enlarged lymph nodes. The disease was first reported in Sundarharaicha Municipality of Morang district in July 2020. In the first two years after the detection of contagious disease, as many as 13 out of 3,301 infected cattle in 16 districts died due to the pandemic in Nepal. 

According to the department, the mid-hill and hilly regions of Karnali, Sudurpaschim, Koshi and Lumbini provinces are most affected by the disease. Out of 709,203 infected animals in the current fiscal year, 453,809 have recovered. Another, 25,782 animals have died from this disease. Currently, 290,602 animals are actively infected. The department claims that the rate of infection is gradually decreasing.