Lumpy Skin Disease looms large to become next Covid-19; Milk dairies to be affected more

The viral Lumpy Skin disease has affected more than one million cows in northern states of the country, spreading fears among farmers and authorities as it may affect the procurement and production of milk products in affected states.

Gujarat reported on Saturday that the virus was reported in 109 new villages, taking the total number of affected villages in 23 districts in Gujarat to 3,268. While other states of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are also equally reporting the rapid spread of the disease among the cattle, authorities are procuring general vaccine meant for goat pox and sheep pox to contain it.

Gujarat is procuring 1.1 million doses of the goat pox vaccine and has vaccinated 300,000 cattle so far. Amul, one of the nation’s major milk dairies is located in Gujarat with major milk-sourcing booths all over the affected states in the North.

What’s Lumpy Skin Disease?

The Lumpy Skin disease is a vector-borne pox disease with symptoms of skin nodules all over the body of the cattle, as per the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It affects cows more than buffalos.

The nodules or ringworm will usually heal itself without treatment, but it can take anywhere between three and nine months depending on treatment, which includes application of the medication directly onto the lesion, and giving anti-biotic medication after scraping the crusts.

Caused by Capripox virus, which is genetically similar to the goat pox and sheep pox, Lumpy Skin disease has become a major emerging threat to livestock worldwide. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) in its report said the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) disease is caused by a virus called the Capripoxvirus and is “an emerging threat to livestock worldwide”.

FAO first recorded the endemic disease in Africa and then spread to South Asia in July 2019, with Bangladesh first reporting its outbreak and soon it entered India and China.

The infection is transmitted usually by some species of mosquitoes, ticks and other blood-feeding insects to cattle and often flies and other mosquitoes spread the disease to more animals. The outbreak spreads faster during the monsoon.

Treatment

As there are no specific antiviral drugs for the treatment of lumpy skin disease, best supportive care includes treatment of skin lesions using wound care sprays and the use of antibiotics to prevent secondary skin infections and pneumonia.

The disease can cause fever and sterility in cattle, which may affect milk production adversely, affecting millions of rural households, which depend on selling milk for livelihood.

If not contained early, the Lumpy Sin Disease (LSD) has the potential to become another Covid-19 among the animals and affecting the rural economy the most.

Impact on Rural Economy

Due to the rapid spread of LSD, for the third consecutive year, Rajasthan’s famous cattle fair which bring around Rs 80 crore in business has been impacted as covid-19 affected them in the last two years.

“The competitive prices we used to get at the fairs were double of what we could manage at home. During the Covid-19 days, a local trader offered me just Rs 25,000 for a cow, which I could have easily sold for Rs 40,000 at the Tilwara fair. Similarly, for a Sindhi racer horse, I was offered Rs 50,000. I sold it for Rs one lakh at Tilwara, though I had to wait for two years,” says Rathod, who hails from Khara village.

Hanumangarh’s famous Gogomedi cattle fair, scheduled for August 11, is postponed indefinitely, as is the case of Parbatsar’s Shri Veer Tejaji fair. Even the Nagar Palika, Nagar Parishad and panchayat level fairs are not happening.

Backbone of rural economy

More than 250 fairs are organised across the state in a year. The high volume of people participating in them ensures that the cattle rearers get a fair price for their livestock and traders get supreme quality animals. Cattle rearers from nearby states also visit, thus promoting cultural relations and state economy.

These fairs also stand as a testimony to the rich history and culture of Rajasthan. Queues of colourfully-decorated animals, the smell of firewood, sounds of folk songs and the tinkling of ghungroo bells are common features of these large-scale events, which are organised by the Animal Husbandry Department to foster business between cattle traders and rearers. Some say the first cattle fair was organised in the region nearly 700 years ago.

Not simply an event of cultural importance, the cattle fairs also spur the local economy, in addition to bringing national and international tourists. Transporters, ornament makers, food vendors, craftspeople and other small businesses rely on these fairs.

Double trouble

“Local traders will never quote good prices for our animals. We have been suffering huge losses in the last two years,” says Chetram, a cattle rearer from Hanumangarh’s Rampura village. Cut from their main source of income, the rearers are forced to stretch their already tight budgets to spend on fodder. Added to this is the risk of losing their animals to LSD.

“During the Covid-19 days, at least our animals were healthy and the only loss was of business. Now, we are losing our livestock, and also our source of income,” laments Shankar Singh, a cattle rearer from Sangriya.

“As of now, the disease has affected about six lakh animals in the state, killing nearly 25,000 of them. The situation is serious,” informs Arvind Jaitly, Deputy Director (Disease Control), Animal Husbandry Department.

“We organise fairs in different locations all through the year, as it serves the interests of both rearers and traders. The department also earns during these fairs. But with the present level of spread of the LSD, stopping of fairs for a while is an imperative,” he adds.

According to a news report, the figures in other states have been soaring too — 74,325 cattle in Punjab, 58,546 in Gujarat, 6,385 in Jammu and Kashmir, 1,300 in Uttarakhand, 532 in Himachal Pradesh and 260 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been affected by the LSD.

Milk supply, subsidiary activities hit

The cattle population in Rajasthan is already on the way down. According to the Animal Husbandry Department, the cattle population in the state came down from Rs 5.77 crore in 2012 to Rs 5.68 crore in 2019 — a drop of 1.61 per cent in seven years.

Rajasthan is also the second highest milk-producing state in the country — at 187.7 million metric tonne. In India, the per capita availability of milk is 394 gm, while it is 870 gm in Rajasthan.

With the spread of LSD, the production of both milk and dairy items has come down. If the situation persists, milk production is expected to drop further.

Even the subsidiary activities have been affected. Mangilal Gusai, who sells trinkets for decorating animals, says, “Cattle fairs are our only source of income. As they stand postponed, we don’t know what to do.”

Gusai’s family of seven works out of their home, readying the ornaments during the monsoon season — June to September. “We took a loan to buy raw materials. We have products worth Rs four lakh lying at home, with no place to sell them.”

Tourism hit

Even the Tourism Department is taking the hit, as it works in conjunction with the Animal Husbandry Department to organise events like the Pushkar Fair, a highly-desired travel experience for a tourist.

“The cattle fairs offer a glimpse into the local culture and rural lifestyle of Rajasthan. The trade, competitions and cultural events happening at the fairs draw huge crowds,” says Bikaner Krishan Kumar, Assistant Director, Tourism Department.

(With inputs from IANS)