'Rainfall triggered spread of lumpy skin disease'

The rainfall over the past few weeks has led to an increase in lumpy skin disease morbidity and mortality among cattle, the state animal husbandry department (AHD) officials said.

- Piyush Bhusari

Around 1.05 lakh cattle have been infected with the viral infection and about 6,014 of them have died in the state so far. Officials said that the disease is spread by insect vectors and due to the rain, the situation across many areas has not improved even though 93% cattle have been vaccinated so far.

Earlier last week, the state animal husbandry department sent a few cattle swab samples from the state to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), the results of which are still awaited.