Lumpy skin disease: 48,800 cattle die

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, Aug. 7: Farmers across the country have incurred huge losses in animal wealth caused by Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) which spread in all districts in five months. It is unfortunate for the nation and the farmers to bear such economic losses in animal wealth from LSD in lack of timely prevention and treatment by the governments of federal, provincial and local levels.

According to the Department of Livestock Services, around 49,000 animals have died due to the Lumpy Skin Disease epidemic in five months. 

The second wave of the disease started in March 2023. Since then, the disease has sickened around 1.1 million cattle, mostly cows, according to the Department. 

Among them, 48,880 have died while around 183,801 cattle are still infected.

According to the latest information collected by the Department from the local levels across the country, the Lumpy Skin Disease has spread in 77 districts of the country.

Among them, the disease has been brought under control in the Himalayan districts of Manang and Mustang, while the epidemic is still active in 75 districts, said Dr. Chandra Dhakal, information officer and senior livestock development officer at the Department.

Growing LSD infection in Terai, healing in the mountains

According to him, the local levels have reported an increase in disease transmission in Terai districts.

Dhakal said that there has been some improvement in infection which has become a pandemic in the hilly districts all over the country.

He informed that the information about disease control in the most affected hilly districts of Koshi, Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces has been received from the Directorate of Livestock and Fisheries Development of the respective provinces.

"At present, new infections are only sporadically found in these areas and the diseased animals have been cured by treatment," he said. The highest number of cattle died in Sudurpashchim Province followed by Karnali and Koshi Province.

Around 23,799 cattle in Sudurpashchim, 8,703 cattle in Karnali and 5,042 cattle in Koshi Province have died so far. Similarly, around 4,000 cattle have died in Lumbini, 3,476 cattle in Bagmati, 2,160 cattle in Gandaki and 1,700 cattle have died in Madhes Province.

Out of 1.1 million infected cattle, the highest number of cattle (325,799) were infected in Sudurpashchim Province, followed by 225,543 in Koshi and 217,083 in Karnali Province.

Similarly, 84,000 cattle were infected in Lumbini Province, 55,542 in Gandaki Province and 139,838 in Bagmati Province. The number of cattle infected with LSD which was 5,088 a month ago has now reached 52,686 in Madhes Province.

351,000 cattle vaccinated

According to the Department, around 351,000 cattle have been vaccinated against the LSD so far.

Information officer Dr. Dhakal said that the campaign for the importation and application of vaccines against the disease is continuing and the mobilisation of veterinarians to prevent the spread of the disease has also been increased.

"So far, about 1,037,000 doses of vaccine have been imported by the private sector on the recommendation of the Department," he said.

The lumpy skin disease control room has been established and operated in the Department, he said, adding that teams have been mobilised in all seven provinces to coordinate with provincial and local level stakeholders under the leadership of joint secretary and the team deployed in this way is providing on-site monitoring, treatment and technical advice in coordination with provincial and local levels.

A team, including veterinarians, has been mobilised in coordination with the province where outbreaks of the disease have been reported, Dr. Dhakal said.

The funds have been allocated at a rate of Rs. 100,000 under the federal conditional grant for epidemic control at each local level. A meeting of the Council of Ministers a week ago decided to instruct the concerned ministry to recommend compensation for those farmers whose animals died of LSD.

Estimation of loss reaches Rs. 54 billion

Looking at the number of infected and dead animals, Nepal Veterinary Council has made a preliminary estimate that the farmers have suffered losses of more than Rs. 54 billion from the Lumpy Skin Disease so far.

Dr. Manoj Kumar Shahi, registrar and information officer of Nepal Veterinary Council, said that the country has suffered a loss of Rs. 54 billion due to the lumpy skin infection of nearly 1.1 million cattle.  

This is so despite low mortality rate from the disease. According to him, it is estimated that there is a loss of Rs. 49,135 per infected animal.

"The preliminary loss projection caused by the LSD is the highest ever in the animal husbandry sector. If the government and other concerned bodies are unable to present strategic plans to prevent and control the disease, the nation and the farmers will bear additional loss," he said.

Besides, farmers will bear additional losses as milk production of infected animals will reduce and also reproduction capacity will be affected. Depending on the infection, it takes at least 10-15 days to 45 days for infected cattle to recover.