Consuming beef from LSD infected cattle will not harm humans

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

Consumption of beef from cattle suffering from the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) will not spread the disease among humans, as the LSD only reduces milk production, Director General of the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute (HARTI) Dr. Hemali Kothalawala said.  

Dr. Kothalawala stated that cattle do not die due to LSD, which is spreading in several parts of the North-Western Province these days.  
This was announced during a meeting at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute last morning (30).  

The cattle infected with LSD was previously reported from the North Eastern Province and its spread was successfully controlled. However due to ignoring the instructions by the Animal Production and Health Department not to transport these cattle elsewhere, some persons have transported them from the disease infected areas to other areas, thus spreading it to other areas.  

After contracting this disease once, the cattle become immune. So there are no possibilities of contracting it again. There is no spread by touching cattle with lumpy-skinned disease and the Director General emphasized there should be no unnecessary fears regarding this disease.  

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who expressed his opinion on this, said the transportation of cattle from the North-Western Province to other areas has been temporarily stopped and all possible safety measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease.