Nazrul Rajbari Correspondent: Five upazilas in the Rajbari district have reported cases of lumpy skin disease in cattle (LSD). The number of affected individuals is growing daily. The majority of those afflicted by this virus are young people. Farmers and ranchers are concerned about their cows and calves since the disease is spreading quickly.
According to the office of the Rajbari District Livestock Officer, cows are being affected by this disease in various areas of Pangsha, Kalukhali, Baliakandi Sadar and Goalanda upazilas of Rajbari district. Since the disease is contagious, it is easily spread from one cow to another through mosquitoes. There is no government vaccine supply for lumpy skin disease as a preventive measure. Therefore, officials of the district livestock department are holding meetings in villages and yards to warn the farmers and ranchers about what to do to protect cattle from LSD.
However, the district livestock officer has not been able to provide any accurate information about the number of cows affected by this disease so far.
On Thursday (July 3) morning, when I went to the Goalanda Upazila Animal Husbandry Hospital, I saw that a woman named Aleya from the Chhota Bhagalpur area of Chhota Bhakla Union of the upazila was bringing her small calf cow affected by lumpy skin disease.
She said that for the last 20 days, her cow’s body has been covered in lumpy skin disease. Since the calf was very sick in the last 4-5 days, she brought it to the hospital to see a doctor.
Ujanchar Union Parishad Chairman Md. Golzar Hossain Mridha said that one of my cows’ legs was swollen, so when I informed the doctor at the animal hospital, he came and gave her primary treatment.
He also said that the calf’s body has started to develop fever. The doctor said that the calf is suffering from LSD disease. In our village, three cows died of lumpy skin disease in the last week.
Rajbari District Livestock Officer Dr. Prakash Ranjan Biswas said, “This viral disease called lumpy skin is contagious. It spreads easily from one cow to another through mosquitoes and flies. We have not yet received any vaccine for this disease from the government. However, some vaccines are available privately, but they are expensive. We are regularly holding yard meetings in villages to warn farmers and ranchers about the disease. There, we are giving various suggestions, including keeping the surrounding areas including farms, cowsheds and sheds clean, using mosquito nets, and feeding cows and calves nutritious food with vitamins.
