Lumpy skin disease is spreading in various areas of Sindh and especially in many cattle farms of Karachi in which boils are appearing in the bodies of animals and due to this disease many animals are dying. Following the outbreak of the disease, people are hesitant as to whether it is possible to consume the milk and meat of cows suffering from this disease or not.
What is the Lumpy virus?
According to scientists, the disease called Lumpy Skin virus has been diagnosed in animals for the last century. Dr. Abdullah Arejo, Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Sindh Agricultural University, Tando Jam, told BBC It is a similar disease in which rashes appear on the body of the animal which spread inside the body and also on the tongue.
After which, with the passage of time, pus starts filling in these grains and the animals are in so much pain that they cannot even sit down due to the severity of the pain. Dr. Arejo said that the disease was first diagnosed in African animals in 1929 and later in India and Sri Lanka.
Dr. Arejo said that when things move around the world, they are accompanied by flies and mosquitoes that can spread a variety of diseases, including dengue and the lymph skin virus.
How does disease reach Pakistan?
Talking to MM News, the dairy farmer of Buffalo Colony, Karachi said that the disease first affected two of his buffaloes and later it spread to ten cows. He said he has suffered a huge loss.
He further said that the disease has come to Pakistan from India and South Africa. “Now that we are vaccinating animals, there is no significant benefit for our animals,” he said.
Is disease transmissible to humans?
Ever since the news of the virus began to circulate, there have been speculations that it may have been transmitted to humans, but this is not the case. According to National Food and Security, Lampy Skin has no adverse effects on human health and the disease cannot be transmitted from animals to humans.
Sharp decrease in meat sale
Ever since the series of videos on social media about the disease has emerged, a large number of people have reduced their purchases of meat.
The Met Merchant Welfare Association says that since the outbreak, beef sales have been affected by 60 percent. He said that the Sindh government has banned cattle markets in the province including Karachi which is affecting the procurement of animals.
Is the meat and milk of affected animals usable?
In an exclusive interview with MM News, the butchers of Burns Road Meat Market said that the animals which have this disease have thick spots inside their meat so if you go to get meat then you should look at the meat and then Buy. Malik Bilal, the owner of the dairy farmer, said that the rumors circulating that substandard milk was being sold, was just mere propaganda.
He further said that most of the milk sold in Karachi is buffalo milk and this disease is more prevalent inside cows and especially in cows that are coming to Pakistan from outside.
Malik Bilal further said that it is possible to cure it, the animals can be protected from this disease by vaccination. He later said that the severity of the disease was higher in December last year and now the severity of the disease has clearly decreased and all this is the propaganda of the companies selling canned milk against us and nothing more.
Another dairy farmer said that a cow that suffers from this disease does not give milk at first, secondly if it has to be sick then first we will be sick then people will be. A statement issued by the National Food and Security Agency (NFSA) said: Absolutely safe for human use. Recently, the World Animal Health Organization also declared the meat of animals infected with lumpy skin usable. The World Animal Health Organization says that the meat of animals infected with lumpy skin can be used.
Conclusion
Everyone should use meat or milk with caution instead of abandoning it out of fear. When you go shopping, try to keep the meat fresh, then bring it home and use it after cooking it well.
