In such a situation, the question arises whether this disease can also spread from animals to humans?
Regarding this disease, the central government told the Parliament that in 2025, cases of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) have been reported in animals in 10 states of India. It is an infectious viral disease, which has a serious impact on the health of animals and the dairy industry. Symptoms of this disease include lumps on the skin, fever, swelling in lymph nodes, reduction in milk production and difficulty in walking.
In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Prof. SP Singh Baghel said that as of July 24, cases of LSD have been reported in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Currently, only Maharashtra has active cases, while 300 animals in eight districts in Gujarat are affected by this disease.
The minister said that since 2022, more than 28 crore animals have been vaccinated against LSD. The highest number of vaccinations have been done in Uttar Pradesh (4.6 crores), followed by Maharashtra (4.13 crores) and Madhya Pradesh (3 crores). The disease is mainly spread through mosquitoes, ticks and other biting insects.
In the last two years, about 2 lakh animals have died due to LSD across the country and milk production of lakhs of animals has been affected. The central government has provided financial assistance to the states for vaccination and disease control.
The minister said that Rs 196.61 crore has been released to the states and union territories in 2024-25 under the Animal Health and Disease Control Program (LHDCP).
Recent cases in Maharashtra and Gujarat have raised concerns for the dairy industry. The government has directed the states to speed up the vaccination campaign and implement pest control measures.
Experts say that this disease can be controlled with timely vaccination and awareness. The central and state governments are committed to tackle this challenge together.
Are humans also at risk from this disease?
Health experts believe that lumpy skin disease is a rapidly spreading disease in animals. It can spread rapidly in cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep. If we talk about humans, then the risk of spreading this disease in them is very low, that is, almost negligible. However, after touching the animals, all people should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and try to protect their animals from this infection. Humans should also take precautions to avoid this disease. The risk of this disease can be reduced to a great extent by vaccinating animals on time.
(With IANS Inputs)
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