In India, misinformation about a viral illness that affects cattle is circulating on social media.

According to the most recent official statistics, over 1.1 million cattle have died as a result of the illness, which has affected over 2.4 million animals throughout India.

Due to the erroneous assertion, dairy producers are suffering. A dairy farmer and manager of a cow shelter in the western Indian state of Rajasthan said, "I observed this allegation on social media and even heard that some people who believe it are throwing away milk." "Dairy farmers who are already struggling economically as a result of the loss of cattle to lumpy skin disease now face the additional weight of shame from those who refuse to purchase milk,"

India is the world's greatest producer of milk and has the largest cow population, yet the illness is endangering farmers' livelihoods. In the meantime, misinformation has caused some individuals to be hesitant about consuming milk. Three incorrect assertions concerning the condition are debunked.

 Is the milk produced by sick animals safe to consume?

Numerous viral social media postings erroneously claim that milk is no longer safe for human consumption owing to the spread of lumpy skin disease and that consuming milk from an infected cow would cause people to get a skin condition. The postings are often accompanied by photographs of plainly unhealthy, lesion-covered human bodies that are intended to instil terror.

According to Google Trends, searches for "can we consume milk from a cow with lumpy skin illness" increased by more than 5,000% in the last 30 days.

In actuality, lumpy skin disease is not zoonotic, meaning it is not naturally transmissible between animals and humans. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations stated in a 2017 study that lumpy skin disease does not impact humans.

Cattle farmers in Gujarat and Rajasthan are frightened by the spread of a disease characterised by abnormally thickened skin.

In numerous states throughout India, a vaccination campaign for cattle is ongoing, and the goat pox vaccine is being employed since it gives cross-protection against lumpy skin disease. Since the initial detection of the virus in India in 2019, Indian researchers have also produced a vaccination for lumpy skin conditions. This vaccine is not yet available commercially.

In India, millions of animals have been immunised and recovered. "The only accessible cure is the goat pox vaccine." This vaccination provides 70–80% protection against lumpy skin conditions with no adverse effects.