Livestock dept officers suspended as lumpy skin disease outbreak reported in Hyderabad division

HYDERABAD: An alarming outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) has been reported in several districts of Hyderabad division, prompting action by the Sindh livestock & fisheries department.

Provincial Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Muhammad Ali Malkani chaired a meeting on Wednesday at the office of the Livestock Director General (DG) Hizbullah Bhutto in Hyderabad to review the situation.

Malkani received a detailed briefing from Bhutto and other officials on the spread of LSD and preventive measures being taken. According to documents obtained by The News, over 100 cases of LSD were reported in early July from Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar and Matiari districts, triggering an emergency response within the department.

Responding to the outbreak, the provincial government took strict administrative action and suspended Livestock DG Rafiq Ahmed Memon and Livestock Director Riaz Abbasi with Hizbullah Bhutto and Nobat Khan Khoso appointed in their place.

Lumpy skin disease is a contagious viral infection affecting cattle and water buffalo, leading to skin nodules, fever, reduced milk production and sometimes death. It spreads mainly through biting insects such as mosquitoes, flies and ticks, as well as direct contact between animals.

Although the LSD poses no direct threat to humans, it severely impacts livestock production and trade, resulting in significant economic losses. Following the major outbreak of LSD in 2022, vaccines were initially imported to control the disease. Later, a budget of Rs700 million was allocated for the Sindh Institute of Animal Health to develop vaccines locally.