Kathmandu: In a severe blow to Nepal’s livestock industry, the lumpy skin disease outbreak continues to wreak havoc, with more than 50,000 cattle losing their lives since the outbreak in April.
According to data from the Department of Livestock Services, the death toll has now reached a staggering 50,826, leaving farmers grappling with heavy losses and impacting dairy production across Nepal.
The disease, which has rapidly spread throughout Nepal, has infected at least 1.8 million cattle. As of Friday, 789,000 cattles have recovered, but the situation remains grim as 248,000 cattle are still battling the infection.
Veterinarians have identified key symptoms, including acute fever, eye and nose discharge, excessive salivation, and the appearance of soft blister-like nodules all over the animals’ bodies. As the infection takes its toll, the affected cattle immediately experience weight loss, leading to a decline in milk yield.
Also, pregnant cows and buffaloes face an elevated risk of miscarriage, and in some cases, infected animals succumb to the disease. Farmers in the hilly districts have been particularly hard hit, with losses of oxen impacting their ability to continue farming in the midst of rising cases.
To combat the outbreak, the livestock department has taken measures to vaccinate cattle, administering a total of 350,000 vaccinations across affected regions. However, despite these efforts, the virus has claimed the lives of 5,042 cattle in the Koshi region, 1,700 in Madhesh, 3,476 in Bagmati, 2,295 in Gandaki, 4,000 in Lumbini, 8,703 in Sudurpaschim, and a staggering 25,610 in Karnali.
According to experts, lumpy skin disease is not zoonotic, meaning the chances of transmission to humans are slim.
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