SRINAGAR: Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has reportedly affected more than 350 cattle in several areas of Sherpathri in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, with residents claiming that around 20 animals have died, prompting calls for an immediate veterinary response.
Bilal Ahmad, a resident of Shalbugh, claimed that about 20 cattle had died and more than 350 animals were affected in the area. The figures could not be independently verified immediately.
Residents have urged the Animal Husbandry Department to deploy veterinary teams to the affected areas at the earliest and assess the reported cases.
District Animal Husbandry Officer, Ganderbal, Dr Aijaz said the department had not received any information about the reported cases so far. He said a veterinary team would visit the affected areas early on Thursday to assess the situation and take necessary measures.
The reports have caused concern among livestock owners, some of whom recalled an earlier outbreak of LSD in Kashmir. A resident said cattle had been vaccinated during the previous outbreak but questioned why the disease had reportedly resurfaced and whether the vaccination had remained effective.
The resident also sought compensation for cattle allegedly lost to the disease.
The reported outbreak comes amid extensive vaccination efforts against LSD in Jammu and Kashmir. During a recent Parliament session, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying informed the Rajya Sabha that 18,61,098 animals in JK had been vaccinated against LSD between 2023 and June 2026.
LSD is a viral disease that mainly affects cattle and water buffaloes. It is caused by Capripoxvirus and is primarily transmitted through blood-feeding insects, including mosquitoes, flies, ticks and midges.
