KATHMANDU, AUGUST 21
More than 47,000 cattle have succumbed to lumpy skin disease (LSD) since it outbreak five months ago, as per latest data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD).
According to MoALD, over a span of five months, a dire situation has unfolded as 1,305,361 cattle are confirmed to be infected with LSD, while 1,082,159 have successfully recovered after treatment.
Currently, 175,553 cattle remain actively infected.
According to Dr Tapendra Bohara, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), the disease has now been confirmed in 77 districts, with successful containment achieved in the Manang and Mustang districts.
Dr Bohara, who is also a senior veterinarian, emphasised that LSD has had a more pronounced impact on cattle in the hilly and mountainous regions of Karnali, Sudurpashchim, Lumbini, and Koshi provinces.
Furthermore, he provided updated information stating that the disease is gradually declining in hilly districts, while some districts in the Tarai region of Madhesh and Bagmati Province continue to report ongoing infections.
MoALD stated that a nationwide large-scale vaccination programme, aimed at combating LSD, is being conducted in coordination with neighbouring nations, India and China, to provide free vaccines.
So far, the MoALD has imported 1,369,000 vaccine doses and initiated a vaccination campaign, with 686,450 cattle already vaccinated in a concerted effort to combat the outbreak.
In a bid to address the outbreak of LSD in the country, a meeting took place on July 31 , which was attended by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' Beduram Bhusal, minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, along with concerned secretaries and officials.
LSD was first seen in Nepal at Sundar Haraicha Municipality of Morang in 2020.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 22, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
