Lumpy Skin Disease is fast turning into a recurring nightmare for Nepali farmers. In Sunsari district alone, more than 1,500 cattle are already infected, and 53 have died. The disease has already spread across the entire Sunsari district, with Duhabi reporting the highest number of infection cases. Inaruwa and Barahachettra municipalities are also badly hit. Vaccination has been intensified, and over 64,000 cattle have already been covered. But with the rate at which the disease is surfacing in new areas, these measures have proven to be insufficient.What is happening in Sunsari today is a painful reminder of the outbreak last year in Sudurpaschim Province. At that time, nearly 26,000 cattle died, and over 630,000 were infected. Farmers in hill districts like Baitadi and Kailali were the worst hit. The contagious viral disease is caused by a type of poxvirus and mainly transmitted by the bites of insects like mosquitoes, ticks, and flies. It also transmits from animal to animal through shared feed, water, and equipment. While not always fatal, the disease typically causes permanent damage drastically lowering milk production, destroying the hide, impairing fertility, and causing weight loss. All of these effects make cattle less valuable to farmers who depend on them not only for milk but also for farm labor.
Misleading Statistics of Livestock in Nepal
This infectious disease affecting cattle cripples the livelihoods of several farmers and villagers. Many had to watch their animals suffer without being able to administer timely vaccines or medicine. In some districts, there were less than a thousand animals vaccinated. The disease especially thrives where cattle are free to range over open terrain, making it easy for the virus to spread undetected. When a domesticated animal falls ill or dies, the impact goes beyond the family. The majority of households rely on oxen for plowing and cows for milk. Losing these animals would mean giving up a source of food, cash, and farm labor. Since most farmers cannot replace their animals immediately, recovery becomes even more challenging. The longer the disease spreads, the more harm it does to animal health and people’s future. Therefore, stopping the spread of this debilitating disease must be a priority for our authorities. This means deploying more vets, increasing vaccine coverage, and making treatment quick and easy to access.
Educating farmers on early identification of the disease, encouraging isolation of infected cattle, and discouraging open grazing during disease outbreaks can slow or stop the disease from infecting other animals. Enhanced surveillance from authorities is also important as Nepal cannot afford to have this disease keep coming back year after year, hitting the same communities, areas or districts time and again. The government and local authorities must come up with a long-term response strategy. That includes maintaining an emergency vaccine stockpile, training local veterinary staff, and assisting farmers with relief measures if livestock are lost. Otherwise, these outbreaks will kill animals and continue to destroy the livelihoods of those who depend on them most.
