No case of lumpy skin disease among cattle has been detected so far in Chhattisgarh but the animal husbandry department is taking preventive measures including vaccinating cattle in villages located in inter-state border areas, an official said on Wednesday.
Chhattisgarh's 18 districts share borders with neighbouring states, he said, adding that temporary check posts have been set up on inter-state borders to prevent the influx of ailing cattle from other states.
Cattle fairs have been banned in villages located in the bordering areas, the official said. Besides, officials have been visiting villages for monitoring and to make people aware of the symptoms of the infectious disease, he said. Cattle in villages located on inter-state borders are being vaccinated too, the official said.
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Cattle owners have been advised to spray pesticides in the animal shelters to contain the spread of the disease, he said. After the lumpy skin disease was detected in Rajasthan, Gujarat and other states, the Director of Veterinary Services, Chhattisgarh, issued guidelines in the first week of August asking officials to remain alert.
Lumpy skin disease is a viral infectious disease which spreads among cattle and buffalo. Mosquitoes, flies and mites are its carriers, he said. Initially, symptoms of moderate fever for two to three days are seen in the affected animals, following which round lumps appear on their skin. The fever affects milk production in milking animals. The disease kills up to 5 per cent of the animals, he added.
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(With PTI inputs)
