Alert sounded after cases of lumpy skin disease emerge among vaccinated cattle in Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh

Officials in Rayalaseema are on alert as efficacy of the goat pox vaccine, which is being given to the cattle affected by lumpy skin disease in the region, is reportedly not satisfactory as some of the vaccinated cattle was affected again.

The disease has affected the white milch cattle in all the districts of Rayalaseema. Every village in the districts of the region has reported 5 to 25 lumpy skin disease cases.

Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University has sent a four-member team to Anantapur district on Wednesday to visit Reddipalli where two deaths were recorded in the last two days. The team will also visit Peddapappuru village. Among the affected cattle was Ongole breed as well, which is supposed to be disease-resistant.

While there is no vaccine yet for lumpy skin disease, experts have advised administering goat pox vaccine to cattle since the symptoms of both lumpy skin and goat pox are similar.

In Anantapur, out of 2.1 lakh of white cattle population, 57 cases of lumpy skin disease have been registered and 13 deaths recorded so far. In Kurnool district, which has a population of 2.35 lakh cattle of non-descriptive and native breeds, 40 deaths have been reported. Ten deaths were recorded in Sri Sathya Sai district where 25 cases were reported. Nandyal district reported 15 deaths out of 50 cases. Kurnool Joint Director Animal Husbandry K. Ramachandraiah said that the goat pox vaccine has been given to 80% eligible population and another 4 lakh doses have been sent to vaccinate the goats also, though no symptoms were seen among goats.

Anantapur Joint Director A.V. Ratnam Kumar and Sri Sathya Sai District Joint Director Animal Husbandry Subrahmanyam said that some non-descriptive breeds, including the Ongole breed, were the worst affected.

Nandyal Joint Director P. Ramanaiah said that new cases were seen in Seetharampuram and Rudravaram on Tuesday, but some cattle had responded well to the treatment.

Cattle had come from Telangana districts to Rudravaram and all the cattle were detected with the Lumpy Skin disease.