DUHS announces to prepare vaccine for LSD

KARACHI: Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), in collaboration with the Sindh Livestock Department, has announced the development of Bovine Lumpy (Lumpy Skin) Vaccine very soon.   

This was announced by Prof Nusrat Shah,  Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Dow University, while addressing a seminar titled "Current Status and Way Forward to Therapy and Prevention" organized by the Association of Molecular and Microbial Sciences at Abdul Qadeer Khan Auditorium, DIMC, Ojha Campus.   
 
Earlier, Dr Nazir Hussain Kalhoro, Director-General, Livestock Department, Sindh, Prof Mushtaq Hussain, Principal Dow College of Biotechnology, also addressed the seminar. Prof Nusrat Shah said that according to the research done so far, there is no evidence of transmission of Lumpy Skin Disease in humans, nor does it have any effect on milk or meat.  
 
He said that people in the country had seen a decrease in protein consumption which is why it is essential not to give up the use of meat. He urged the youth to come to veterinary sciences as there is a shortage of veterinary doctors in our country.  
 
 Earlier,Dr Nazir Hussain Kalhoro, in his speech to the audience and answering to the media and students, said that five districts of Sindh province are safe from this disease, and this disease has spread in the rest of the province. According to the data, 28,857 cows have been infected in Sindh province, while about 250 cattle have died. "On our social media, Lumpy Skin Disease is being described as an infectious disease or a contagious/deadly disease to humans," he said; the disease is not found in buffaloes, goats or sheep, but only in cows.   

He said that this disease has been present for 100 years, and to date, no evidence of transmission of this disease has been found in any human being. He had contracted this disease; then he also got this disease in Lasbela, Balochistan. They immediately collected the sample and sent it to the federal government, and then the data collection and study was started. The federal government and the provinces had close contact on the issue of this disease. The federation announced Lumpy Skin Disease on March 4.  
  
He said that there are 30,000 doses of vaccine in the province which are being administered to the animals around the affected areas. As soon as the federal government was written for the vaccine on March 4th, 4 million doses of the vaccine were being urgently imported from Turkey. We will make our own vaccine in 8-9 months. Vaccine from abroad is expensive. The government of Sindh has provided funds for this. A license will be issued today.  

He said that the vaccine would be provided to the cattle in the province free of cost by the Sindh government. Cattle that will be vaccinated will be protected from the disease for their whole life. Some people have imported vaccines privately and vaccinated their cattle. It is not reliable; if it is not administered under the supervision of experts, it is harmful. Since we have explained to the farmers not to use this type of vaccine, then the spread of this disease has decreased. He said that 13,000 animals in Sindh had been cured of this disease and they had become immunized for their whole life. In ten to twelve days, our teams will vaccinate 200,000 cows in Sindh.