Cattle skin disease is spreading rapidly in the state of Gujarat. More than 5000 have died there so far. Especially in the Kutch district of Gujarat, a large number of cows have died. Thousands of dead cow carcasses are piled up in the open in the Bhuj area. Cattle are also dying in Rajkot and Jamnagar areas. Special veterinary camps have been set up in Kutch, Bhuj, Rajkot, Jamnagar areas.
However, due to the accumulation of carcasses of dead cows in public places, a situation has developed where humans are also affected by the disease. In an interview given by Bhuj Municipal Administration Chairman Ganshyam Thakkar, we are trying to dispose of the bodies as soon as possible. But due to continuous rains, digging of pits has slowed down. That is why the dead bodies could not be disposed of, he said.
The government has reported that 37,000 cows have been affected by the disease in the Kutch district of Gujarat alone. 1010 cows have died so far. The government said that 1.65 lakh cows have been vaccinated.
What is skin cancer? Lumby skin virus, which causes skin tumor disease in cattle, was discovered in African countries in 1920. Later it was found in Kenya, Middle East Asian countries, China and Vietnam. Areas parallel to sea level are more humid.
The production of mosquitoes and flies will increase in this area. This mosquito-borne disease has now been detected in Kerala for the first time in India. The skin of cows infected with this disease is full of tumors. Although this usually does not result in deaths, it can greatly reduce milk production. Also does not catch and does not produce quality calves.
Cows with this disease should be isolated from other cows. A government veterinarian should be consulted immediately. There are no drugs for most viral diseases. Bacterial disease follows viral disease and increases mortality.
Thus, injections should be given for 3 days to control the bacterial disease. An antiseptic ointment should be applied to the lumps. Vaccines for this disease should be imported from abroad and administered before the disease occurs.
Collateral Damages of Revolutions: Collateral damage is inevitable whenever revolutions occur, isn’t it? Similarly, there is criticism that this disease is one of the few damages caused by the white revolution. Country cows living in tropical regions are more immune. But milk production will be low. The White Revolution was fueled by the increased demand for milk. High milk yielding hybrid cows were imported. Since these cows have low immunity, vaccines and medicines are given for various diseases including rabies.
In this case, the skin disease (tumor) which occurred in cattle in African countries is also occurring in India from time to time. It was first detected in India in 2019 in Kerala.
