As many as 173 cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD) have been detected so far in cattle in the National Capital, Delhi Development Minister Gopal Rai said on Saturday. It includes 45 cows from Gol dairy, 16 from Najafgarh area, 40 in Rewla Khanpur area, and some others from adjacent villages, he said.
Addressing media persons here, Rai said that most of the cases have been found in the South and West District of Delhi. The lumpy virus has been also found in neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, he added.
Rai said that the Delhi government has deployed two mobile veterinary clinics and set up 11 rapid response teams to collect samples. Four teams have been formed to create awareness about the infection, he added.
The city government has also set up a special control room with the helpline number 8287848586 for queries related to lumpy virus. However, he said that there is no threat to humans from this virus.
Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral disease that spreads among cattle through mosquitoes, flies, lice and wasps by direct contact, as also through contaminated food and water. The disease causes fever and nodules on the skin and it can be fatal.
The Delhi Minister said that an isolation ward is being set up in Rewla Khanpur in southwest Delhi for the abandoned cattle suffering from lumpy skin disease.