KARACHI: Cattle farms in Karachi and other parts of Sindh have reported the outbreak of viral lumpy skin disease in cattle and a large number of animals.
Farmers have demanded immediate government intervention and closure of inter-provincial borders for transportation of animals to contain spread of the disease. Samples collected from infected animals have been sent to Islamabad but the federal ministry has yet to notify the disease.
The Dairy and Cattle Farmers Association have sought help from the federal government over the spread of lumpy skin disease in livestock. In a letter addressed to the prime minister, they said there are around one million animals at cattle farms of Karachi and the skin disease has spread in cows and buffaloes.
The farmers said the disease has already spread to farms in Sanghar, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Khairpur and Karachi. They have also demanded specialist advice and the provision of medicines to tackle the disease.
Commissioner Karachi has also taken notice of reports of the spreading animal disease at cattle farms in the city and has sought a report from Deputy Commissioner Malir. He directed that the matter should be inquired into in collaboration with the provincial livestock department.
The Commissioner said diseases in animals could affect milk supply to the city. He also directed that the possible transmission of the disease from animals to humans should also be discussed with experts.
Lumpy skin disease is a viral infection of cattle. Originally found in Africa, it has also spread to countries in the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Europe. Clinical signs include fever, lacrimation, hypersalivation, and characteristic skin eruptions.
The disease is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever, nodules beneath the skin and can also lead to death, especially in animals that have not previously been exposed to the virus.
Experts have raised alarm over the spread of lumpy skin disease in recent years beyond its ancestral home of Africa. Quarantine restrictions have proved to be of limited use. Vaccination with attenuated virus offers the most promising method of control and was effective in halting the spread of the disease in the Balkans.
