LSD cattle disease cases decrease sharply this year

He said the number of reported LSD cases had declined substantially this year when compared to 2021.

This year’s average monthly incidents numbered 389, down by as much as 99.4 per cent from 62,654 last year.

Between January 1 and August 30, only 3,115 cattle were reported to be ill from LSD, most of which were young animals that had not been vaccinated, Chalermchai said.

“This success resulted from the Department of Livestock Development’s strict and continued measures in controlling the lumpy skin disease, as well as good cooperation from cattle raisers,” said the agriculture minister.

Department director-general Sorravis Thaneto said on Thursday that his agency had implemented five key measures in an effort to control LSD in the country. They are close monitoring, strict control of cattle movement, reduction of insects that are potential carriers, proper treatment of animals falling ill from the disease, and cattle vaccination.

LSD is a devastating disease in cattle and buffaloes. The disease causes large skin nodules covering the entire body, poor milk production and miscarriage. However, the morbidity rate varies from 10 to 20 per cent, with low mortality.

The first outbreak in Thailand was reported in March 2021 in northeastern Roi Et province. Another outbreak was reported in Nakhon Phanom, also in the Northeast, two months later.

Last year, the Department of Livestock Development imported 5.36 million doses of LSD vaccines and received another 700,000 doses donated by the private sector, according to Sorravis.

Also, Thailand is capable of producing 50,000 LSD vaccine doses every month and the distribution began in June, he said.

In July, the Cabinet endorsed a department request for money to procure 6.3 million LSD vaccine doses to be used as booster shots, according to the director-general.