Lumpy Skin Disease: UP Govt Bans Cattle Trade With 4 States; Restricts Movement of Animals in THESE Districts

The viral disease entered Uttar Pradesh through states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh told the fifth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Assembly.

Lucknow: Keeping in view the rise in cases of lumpy skin disease, the Uttar Pradesh government has banned the trade of cattle with four neighbouring states, reported news agency PTI. The UP government has also imposed a “lockdown” on the intrastate movement of animals from 28 districts in a bid to check the further spread of virus, Animal Husbandry Minister Dharampal Singh said on Friday. He said the lumpy skin disease has spread to animals in 14 states of the country and it is “fatal to animals like coronavirus” is to human.

The viral disease entered Uttar Pradesh through states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, the minister told the fifth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Assembly. “In view of this, the import of animals has been banned by sealing the interstate borders for cattle movement,” he said. As many as 26,197 cows have been infected with the disease in the state out of which 16,872 have been treated, said the minister.

‘Lockdown on intrastate movement of cattle’

He added that 28 districts of Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly divisions are affected by this disease in western Uttar Pradesh. “So a lockdown has been imposed on the movement of cattle” to prevent the spread of the disease from western UP to eastern UP, he said.

Singh said a control room for relief and rescue has been set up in Lucknow and the helpline numbers are: 18001805141 and 0522-2741992.

Lumpy skin disease in cattle

The lumpy skin disease affects cattle like cows and buffaloes. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes and flies. The disease causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death of the infected cattle.

(With inputs from PTI)