Lucknow, Aug 25 (TIWN) More than 5,000 cattle have been affected by the lumpy skin disease virus while 30 have died due to this so far in eight districts of Uttar Pradesh including Meerut, Baghpat, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Bijnor.

Additional Director, Animal Husbandry, Meerut division, Brajveer Singh said all precautionary measures are being taken to keep a check on the spread of the disease. He said that it is a viral disease and teams had been formed at block level in all districts of the division to brief farmers about taking precautionary measures.  "Teams have directed farmers to keep sick animals away from healthy ones and to keep their sheds clean", said Singh, adding that the state government had banned animal trading fairs and transportation of animals from bordering states. Singh said more than 300 animals were affected by the disease in the division and at least three of them died in Bulandshahr district alone. He said that mortality rate is low.  Meanwhile, district officials have sent their requirements for vaccines to the state government. "We hope to receive the vaccines soon," said Singh. With 66 new fresh cases of the disease reported, the total number of cases in Meerut district has gone up to 223. Chief veterinary officer in the district Akhilesh Garg claimed that no death from lumpy disease was reported in the district and 40 affected animals had recovered in the past few days.