BATHINDA, Sept. 16 -- The Punjab animal husbandry department has intensified surveillance and launched aggressive vaccination drives across the state following the detection of 216 cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD).

Officials said the state went on high alert after outbreaks were reported in neighbouring Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, followed by a recent central government warning regarding cases surfacing in Uttar Pradesh.

LSD cases started surfacing in Punjab last month after four years, when nearly 18,000 cattle perished in various districts in 2022.

As per the official information, 216 livestock were found infected with the deadly viral disease in the past few weeks, but no mortality has been recorded to date due to LSD. Experts ...