The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government intends to build a 300-kilometer-long “immune belt” from Pilibhit to Etawah to combat the lumpy virus disease in the state’s animals.
The Animal Husbandry Department has completed preparations for the 10-kilometer-wide ‘immune belt,’ which will run through 23 blocks in five districts.
Lumpy Skin Disease
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a viral infection that primarily affects cattle. It is spread by blood-feeding insects such as flies and mosquitos, as well as ticks. It causes fever and skin nodules, and it can cause cattle to die.
The Department of Animal Husbandry will form a special enforcement team for surveillance, and the task force will handle the tracking and treatment of animals infected with the lumpy virus.
A similar operation was carried out in Malaysia in 2020, with positive results.
Virus update in UP
The virus has spread to 23 districts in Uttar Pradesh. Aligarh, Muzaffarnagar, and Saharanpur have reported the highest number of cases. Mathura, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Hapur, Meerut, Shamli, and Bijnor are also experiencing rapid spread.
So far, 21,619 cows in 2,331 villages across the state have been affected, with 199 dying and 9,834 recovering after treatment. The Yogi Adityanath government is also conducting a massive vaccination campaign, with over 5,83,600 cattle already vaccinated.
The majority of lumpy virus cases have been reported in the state’s western districts. In light of this, the Uttar Pradesh government has devised a plan to construct a 10-kilometer-wide immune belt stretching from Pilibhit to Etawah. The Animal Husbandry Department presented the master plan for the immune belt to Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, which was agreed upon by the government.
Immune belt will pass through
This immune belt will pass through Bisalpur, Barkheda, Lalorikheda, Marauri, and Amaria development blocks of Pilibhit district via Khudaganj, Nigohi, Sidhauli, Bhawal Kheda, Kant, Jalalabad, and Mirzapur development blocks of Shahjahanpur district, and Kaimganj, Shamsabad and Rajepur development blocks of Farrukhabad district. It will reach Kurawali, Sultanganj, and Ghirour development blocks of Mainpuri district and Badhpura, Jaswantnagar, Saifai, Basrehar, and Takha development blocks of Etawah.
According to information shared by the Animal Husbandry Department, the month of September is considered sensitive, because of which special vigilance is being maintained in nine divisions of the state.
