Scientists develop Lumpy Skin Disease vaccine, mass production soon

Bareilly: Scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Research Centre on Equines at Haryana and ICAR Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly have jointly developed a vaccine against the deadly Lumpy Skin Disease virus affecting lakhs of cattle across India.

The LSD outbreak has so far killed over 57,000 cattle in the country. Its first case was reported in Kutch, Gujarat, in April this year.

“The vaccine is called ‘Lumpi-ProVacind’ and it has been transferred to Biovet Pvt Ltd in Karnataka on Friday during a programme in Delhi. Biovet has promised its commercial production at the earliest. The development of this vaccine is another milestone on the way to a ‘self-reliant India’, and it will provide great relief to cattle farmers who suffered massive financial loss because of this virus,” Dr Triveni Dutt, ICAR-IVRI director, told TOI.