Lumpy Skin Disease: An unforeseen danger in India
Lumpy Skin Disease: An unforeseen danger in India
Navjot Hothi
ABSTRACT
In this manuscript, efforts have been made to gauge the unforeseen danger of Lumpy Skin Disease in India, which mainly affects cattle and buffaloes. India has the highest livestock population in the world, and this provides a significant economic contribution to small-scale farmers. The summer and monsoon months of 2022 witnessed a sudden spurge across 14 states and 1 union territory in India, with a spread spanning 251 districts and 43,759 epicenters. Around 2.4 million cattle were affected in India, and 0.11 million cattle succumbed to the disease. The 10 most affected states have been analyzed for mortality and morbidity. The mortality rate in different districts in India varied between 5% and 45%. The morbidity rate calculated is, however, lower and averages around 4.94% in the top ten most affected states of India. Rajasthan is the state with the highest morbidity, as this state has the highest cattle population in the world. The state of Punjab had the highest mortality rate of 10.15%. The affected states have run several vaccination drives, but 100% vaccination has not been achieved yet. The disease has subsided in the autumn and winter months, leading to callousness amongst farmers about getting their livestock vaccinated. Trends suggest that this disease could resurface in the summer of 2023 and could also spread across the nation, with the fear of becoming endemic. The virus can survive for months in dark enclosures. The main culprit behind the spread of the disease is indirect transmission via vector movement, which peaks during the summer and monsoon months. Direct transmission of the virus is found to be effectively low. Appropriate precautionary measures need to be implemented now to curb the re-emergence of the disease.
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