Maharashtra: More than 2.5 lakh vaccinated against lumpy skin disease in Latur

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More than 2.5 lakh cattle have been vaccinated against lumpy skin disease over a period of one year in Maharashtra's Latur district, an official said on Monday.

The district had received more than 2.7 vaccine doses in 2022-23, while this year, it has received 1.3 lakh doses as per the demand of each tehsil, deputy commissioner of animal husbandry Nanasaheb Kadam said.

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More than 2.5 lakh cattle were vaccinated against the disease in a year from March 2022, he said.

A total of 630 cattle died due to the disease till June 30, this year and compensation has been given to owners of 367 cattle that succumbed to the ailment, district animal husbandry officer Dr RD Padile said.

In October last year, the Maharashtra government officials had said that the state had finalised a proposal to undertake production of the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease which has affected a large number of cattle in the state and others parts of the country, the PTI had earlier reported.

The move would make Maharashtra self-sufficient in producing vials of the vaccine, commonly known as goatpox, the official from the state animal husbandry department had said in October.

"The proposal is aimed at undertaking vaccine production so that the state can continue to inoculate cattle every year to put a check on the lumpy skin disease spread. The technology to produce the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease is already available with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), which is a Union government body," he had told the PTI.

The official had said that the vaccine production will take place at a facility in Pune district.

"The state government needs to transfer around Rs 70 lakh to the ICAR as part of royalty. Once the technology is acquired, the Maharashtra government will start production at a facility in Aundh (Pune district) and become self-sufficient in terms of vaccine production and availability," he had said.

"The animal husbandry department has mooted a policy decision to inoculate cattle annually with the lumpy skin disease vaccine commonly known as goatpox. This will put a check on its spread," the official had earlier said.

The state government had earlier said that thousands of cows, bulls and calves have died in Maharashtra due to the contagious viral disease, which spreads through insects or contaminated water.

(with PTI inputs)