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What is Lumpy Skin disease, affecting lakhs of cattle in India? Know if it can spread to humans

Following the monkeypox and Covid-19 pandemics, a new disease has begun to spread in India, this time affecting animals. The Lumpy Skin disease has wreaked havoc on cattle across the country, killing over 7,300 animals so far. Nearly 3,000 cattle have died in Rajasthan and Gujarat in recent weeks as a result of a viral infection of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) that has spread across the states.

What is Lumpy Skin disease?

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), according to health officials, is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle. It is spread by blood-feeding insects such as flies and mosquitoes, as well as ticks. It causes fever, and nodules on the skin, and can be fatal.

Following outbreaks in the Middle East and Europe, the disease, which primarily affects cattle, has recently spread to Asia. The disease first appeared in Bangladesh in July 2019. LSD first appeared in India in 2019, and lakhs of cases have since been registered. The Poxviridae virus, also known as the Neethling virus, causes infectious diseases. LSD in cattle is characterised by enlarged lymph nodes, lumpy skin, fever, and difficulty moving.

Does Lumpy Skin disease affect humans?

Despite the fact that LSD is rapidly spreading among cattle in India, officials and medical experts have confirmed that the disease does not spread to humans, even when they come into contact with sick cattle.

So far, 7,300 cattle have died, with 3,359 animals dying in Punjab, 2,111 in Rajasthan, 1,679 in Gujarat, 62 in Jammu and Kashmir, 38 in Himachal Pradesh, 36 in Uttarakhand, and 29 in Andaman and Nicobar.

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