Cattle dying by the thousands. In India, many farmers see their cows and buffalo drop like flies from a viral disease. According to the Associated Press, 100,000 cows have already died and 2 million are sick.
This disease, contagious lumpy skin disease, is transmitted by insects, mosquitoes or ticks, which suck the blood of mammals. Infected cows then run a fever and end up with cysts under their skin.
The disease also causes a drop in milk production, calving problems and considerable emaciation of the animals. The first cases were detected in Asia in 2019, before spreading to India, but also to Nepal and China.
implemented a vaccine
The virus is now present in 15 states in India. Western Rajasthan is the worst affected by the epidemic, where 60,000 head of cattle have died and 1.4 million are infected. In the country, the number of deaths has almost doubled in the last three weeks, according to the Trust of India news agency.
“The disease is contagious. Now it is moving from west to east,” said Narendra Mohan Singh, director of the Rajasthan state livestock department.
This epidemic has caused a significant loss of income for Indian farmers, already heavily affected by the April droughts.
To help them, the authorities have implemented a vaccine against a similar disease and aimed at healthy animals. Efforts are underway to develop a more effective vaccine.
India is the world’s largest milk producer, accounting for a fifth of global production. These farmers contribute about 5% of the Indian economy.
Source: BFM TV
