Lumpy Skin Disease

Why is in news? MoU signed for commercial production of indigenously developed vaccine "Lumpi-ProVac" in presence of Union Minister FAHD Shri Parshottam Rupala and CM Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde

Lumpi-ProVacind is used for the prophylactic immunization of animals against Lumpy Skin Disease, which illicit protection for about one year

The vaccine technology will defiantly meet out the standard of the market and significantly provide a defence mechanism to control the devastating lumpy skin disease

This MoU will also ensure large-scale production of Goat Pox vaccine for future needs of India's livestock sector.

At present Goat Pox vaccine is used for controlling Lumpy Skin Disease in animals and this has been proven effective against Lumpy.

He further highlighted the relevance of the technology and requested the IVBP, Pune to start manufacturing the vaccine at large scale without any delay so as to make the vaccine available for the use by the department for the help of the farmers by overcoming the disease.

The Lumpy Skin Disease has been reported in India from 2019 while first case was reported in the state of Odisha.

After that, it has spread to multiple states in the country. In 2019, death of a large number of cattle has been reported from different states with high morbidity especially in North-West region of the country.

The disease has been controlled and contained with the available Goat pox vaccine in the country.

Considering the heavy production losses and mortality of sizable number of cattle, ICAR initiated research on development of indigenous homologous vaccine against Lumpy Skin Disease.

LSD is caused by infection of cattle or water buffalo with the poxvirus Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV).

Lumpy skin disease was first seen as an epidemic in Zambia in 1929. Initially, it was thought to be the result of either poisoning or hypersensitivity to insect bites.

Lumpy skin disease is primarily spread between animals by biting insects (vectors), such as mosquitoes and biting flies.

It primarily consists of fever, fluid excretion from eyes and nose, dribbling of saliva from the mouth and blisters on the body.

The animal stops eating and faces problems while chewing or eating, resulting in reduced milk production.

Vaccination against these diseases is covered under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme of India.