Bhola Correspondent:

A severe outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has struck cattle at Charfesson upazila in Bhola district, affecting over 5,000 cows across multiple unions.

With no vaccine currently available and limited veterinary support, farmers and cattle rearers are facing mounting economic and emotional distress.

According to Upazila Livestock Office, more than 4,300 cows have officially been reported as infected, but the actual number is likely higher, as many cases go unreported.

The disease, which causes painful skin nodules, fever and even death in some cases, has spread rapidly across several unions including Char Kukrimukri, Char Manika, Nazrul Nagar, Aralia, Osman Ganj and Shashibhushan.

Farmers are particularly concerned as the disease is impacting milk production, leading to miscarriages in cows and even deaths in some instances.

Many report that their cattle have stopped eating and are showing visible signs of distress, such as fever, weakness and discharge from eyes and nose.

Maher Alam, a farmer from Nazrul Nagar union, shared that two of his cows developed fever followed by skin lesions. Despite trying over-the-counter medications from local shops, there was no improvement.

Eventually, he contacted the livestock office for professional help, but his animals remain severely ill.

Another local farmer, Khorushid Alam, said that out of 10 cows in his farm, three have shown symptoms of LSD. “We took them to Upazila Veterinary Hospital after local treatment failed. The doctors said it’s a viral disease with no vaccine available yet,” he stated.

He urged the government to take immediate action to supply vaccines before farmers suffer irreversible losses.

Upazila Livestock Officer Dr. Md Rajon Ali confirmed that while the disease is not typically fatal, it causes significant economic damage. “Milk production drops, weight decreases and market value falls. That alone is devastating for rural livelihoods,” he noted. “The government is working on developing and procuring the vaccine. Once available, we will begin mass inoculation.

Charfesson is home to more than 124,000 cattle, many of which are the main source of income for rural households.

Local representatives have called for emergency vaccine distribution, formation of mobile veterinary teams, ward-level disease monitoring and compensation packages for affected farmers to mitigate the crisis.