Wanaparthy: At the time, when deadly novel coronavirus had resulted in more than two thousand human deaths and constant extend of lockdown in the country; a new virus ‘lumpy skin’ seems to affect the cattle in and across Telangana.
‘lumpy skin,’ as it has been named, has no vaccine yet and had been threatening white cattle across the country.
According to sources, it was around Ugadi (a festival celebrated during late March) when this condition caused by ‘Capripox virus’ was observed in cattle in Odisha, Maharashtra and other states and it soon spread across Telangana too, affecting thousand of white cattle animals in Warangal, Mahabubabad, Vikarabad, Jogulamba Gadwal, Wanaparthy, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Adilabad, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri and other districts in East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh have also been badly affected by the disease.
It was around 15 days before the announcement of lockdown when it was first observed in Kollapur, Veepanagandla, Pangal, Gadwal and Pebbair areas of Palamuru region.
Though it is believed that due to Pebbair Santha, the largest cattle market in Pebbair and people from even the neighbouring states coming to sell their cattle here, the spread of the virus has been rapid in Wanaparthy and the nearby districts of Palamuru region.
A farmer from Suguru village of Pebbair Mandal said “He had purchased a pair of male calves from Pebbair Santha last year for Rs 50,000. He claims that last month, cattle brought to his village to graze by some people had the virus and 10 of their cattle had died due to the virus. The virus must have spread in the village from those cattle.”
According to Ganesh Reddy, Veterinary Assistant of four villages under his jurisdiction, 314 cases were identified with symptoms of Lumpy skin, which is a highly infectious disease.