HARIPUR: The lumpy skin disease (LSD) is killing five cows daily on average and has affected hundreds of cattle in Haripur district, farmers and veterinary officials said here on Saturday.

The LSD outbreak was first reported among cows in June when veterinary officials had diagnosed 150 cows with the disease, but the situation worsened after Eidul Azha and the number of infections climbed to 846 when arrival of cows and bulls for sacrificial purpose from Punjab was not stopped despite warnings from veterinary officials, thus increasing the mortality rate among cattle.

`Officially, there are 846 cows and bulls under treatment at present, and mortality rate is five animals a day on average,` Dr Sohrab Ahmed Malik, district veterinary director, told Dawn.

He said LSD cases were on rise in all the three tehsils of Haripur, but Ghazi was the worst affected as infected cows were brought there from Punjab two months ago.