An outbreak of nodular skin disease continues in India, which has claimed the lives of more than 1 lakh cattle. Meanwhile, veterinary experts have dismissed concerns regarding transmission of disease from animals to humans and reported that there is evidence of animal-to-animal transmission, but not of animal-to-human transmission.
“There is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted from animals to humans. It is not a zoonotic disease. It is goat pox that has been passed on to a cow. This is how transmission happened. That means it was from animals. It is transmittable in animals. Buffalo, cow, goat and sheep are affected. No such case of transmission from animals to humans has been reported so far,” Dr Rita Goyal told news agency ANI.
The doctor further mentioned that infected animals Initially high fever and lumps appear on the body. The virus then reaches the cattle’s immune system causing shortness of breath and eventually affecting multiple organs leading to the death of the animal.
“As a prevention, it is better for humans to have pasteurized milk instead of unpasteurized milk. The best thing is to boil the milk and put it on a simmer and let it boil for another minute. So that most of the virus is destroyed ,” added Dr. Rita.
Dr. Rita’s opinion is supported by other experts from reputed institutions like ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI).
Firm raised nodules up to 59 mm in diameter on the skin around the head, neck, genitals, limbs and the entire body. Scabs develop in the center of the nodule after which the scabs fall out leaving large holes that can become infected with secondary bacterial infection Further swelling of the limbs, chest and genitals may also be observed. There is also watery eyes and increased nasal and salivary secretion. Some animals with the disease may be asymptomatic,” said experts on the symptoms of lumpy dermatitis. Told.
The disease can also affect the milk production of cattle or cause abortion in pregnant cattle.
According to a recent pre-print study on lumpy virus conducted by CSIR-IGIB, the genome sequence of the lumpy skin disease virus from spreading in India suggests a distinct lineage of the virus.
India is currently usinggoat pox vaccine Against the virus, which is proving to be completely effective.
As of September 23, data from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying showed that the lumpy skin disease had spread to 251 districts in 15 states, affecting more than 20 lakh cattle.
India has a cattle population of 192.5 million and is the largest milk producer in the world, producing 210 million tonnes of milk.
With inputs from ANI.
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