Markets Dialogue with Dr Bhaskar Ganguly

Nearly 100,000 cows and buffaloes have died after more than two million cattle were infected by a virus in India in one of the deadliest outbreaks in the country.

Lumpy skin disease is threatening India’s 300 million cattle population. The disease, caused by a capripoxvirus, is transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes, ticks and flies.

The outbreak was first reported in July in the western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat and has since spread to more than 250 districts. Authorities have set up control rooms to monitor and engage in effective preventive initiatives across the country.

Over 10 million cattle have been vaccinated with a shot designed for a similar disease. Veterinarians say incessant rains in parts of the country have triggered the viral outbreak, which thrives in those conditions.

Several parts of India recorded weeks of extreme heatwaves before the monsoon set in, with excess rainfall and flooding in parts, while others suffered drought. Lumpy skin disease was first recorded in Namibia in 1929, and the first case in South Asia was detected in 2019, followed by a case in Maharashtra state.

Dr Bhaskar Ganguly is a seasoned veterinary researcher and research manager with 13+ years of experience across diverse animal health research areas.