TAXILA: Ahead of Eidul Azha, the lumpy skin disease (LSD), which had earlier been reported from various parts of Attock, has started spreading in Fatehjang as scores of livestock, especially cows and buffaloes, are suffering from it.

The disease has hit various localities of Fatehjang, especially Gullyial, Kot Fateh Khan, Burj, Tajja Bajja, Guggan, Qutbal, Jhandial, Jabbi, Akhori, Jaffar, Shahrah Saadullah, Dhurnal, Hattar and Kudwal.

Farmers told this reporter that the condition of the ailing animals was getting worse.

According to livestock experts, LSD is a viral disease of cattle and buffaloes which spreads through the bite of mosquitoes or parasites. The disease affects the skin of the infected animal by creating large lesions on the body.

Malik Saleem, a resident of Kot Fateh Khan, said several cases had been reported in his area but authorities were not doing enough to vaccinate animals.

“With the arrival of Eidul Azha, animals have been brought from various parts of southern Punjab and Sindh who later developed symptoms of the disease that infected the local cattle,” said a cattle breeder, Sardar Falak Zaman.

On the other hand, Haji Jamaldin, who sells and buys animals, said he did not purchase animals for Eid because of the disease.

When contacted, Livestock Department Additional Director Dr Abdul Hameed said the available vaccines were being shifted to the affected areas while teams of veterinary doctors had been dispatched for vaccination of cattle. He said the department had banned the entry of infected animals to protect the local livestock from catching the disease.

He said animals infected with the lumpy skin disease become weak and lose a lot of weight. He said an awareness campaign had been launched to sensitise farmers and traders about the disease.

He, however, explained that the consumption of affected animal’s meat or milk did not transmit the infection to humans.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2022