Multiple occurrences of lumpy skin disease, a virus that spreads quickly among cattle, have been detected in various sections of the Central Province, which has alarmed the health officials.
The Central Province’s dairy output has been impacted, according to the Animal output & Health Department.
Dr. R.M.K.P. Rajanayake, the Central Provincial Director of the Department, stated that the situation needs to be brought under control by the appropriate authorities.
Fever, nodules on the skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs, emaciation, swollen lymph nodes, oedema of the skin, and occasionally death are the symptoms of lumpy skin disease.
In the Nuwara-Eliya District, cases of lumpy skin disease have been reported from Ragala and Kotmale; in the Kandy District, Harispaththuwa, Udunuwara, and Pujapitiya; and in the Matale District, Dambulla, Wilgamuwa, and Galewela.
However, Dambulla and Galewela, where at least 500 cattle were infected, saw a noticeable increase in the viral disease’s transmission among cattle.
The Animal Production & Health Department has decided to halt cattle transit into and out of the Central Province till further notice after taking the circumstance into account.
