Lumpy virus: 2 cows infected in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, alert issued

Two cows in the Depalpur village of Madhya Pradesh's Indore district were found infected with the Lumpy virus. Their treatment is being carried out by the veterinary department.

This is the first case in the district when Lumpy has been found in an animal.

Veterinarian Dr Prashant Tiwari, Indore said that the cattle in which the infection was found belong to the district and have not come from outside, after which an alert has been issued in the district.

"Lumpy virus has been confirmed in two cows in Depalpur area. The cow is from here and has not come from outside, both are local cows. We have issued an alert in the entire district after receiving two cases," said Dr Prashant Tiwari.

The administration, taking the precautionary measure, has banned the import of animals from Rajasthan and districts where lumpy cases have been found to Indore.

However, the Lumpy virus has been found only in cows and buffaloes. There is no danger to humans in eating meat or using milk of animals that do not have the symptoms of Lumpy. Animals can be cured from Lumpy, however, the milk of such animals may get affected due to the virus.

As per reports, Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies and mosquitoes, or ticks. It causes fever and nodules on the skin and can lead to the death of the cattle.

Meanwhile, providing relief to the livestock of the country, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on August 10 launched the indigenous vaccine Lumpi-ProVac to protect livestock from Lumpy skin disease.

The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).

Ever since the disease came to India in 2019, research institutes have been engaged in developing the vaccine.