lumpy skin disease for 24 July 2025

Lumby Skin Disease Latest News

With over 900 cattle infected with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and more cases emerging daily, Pune district is staring at a potential decline in milk supply.

About Lumby Skin Disease

• It is a highly infectious viral disease that affects all breeds of cattle and water buffalo. 
• Causative Agent: It is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a member of the genus Capripoxvirus (CaPV) within the family Poxviridae (smallpox and monkeypox viruses are also a part of the same family). 
• LSDV is not zoonotic, so humans cannot get infected by the virus.
• The disease is endemic in Africa and the Middle East and has been spreading increasingly in Europe and Southeast Asia over recent years.
• The disease is most common in the wet summer and fall months, especially in low-lying areas near water bodies, but it can also occur in the dry season. 
• LSD is a highly host-specific disease. It primarily affects cows and to a lesser extent, buffalo.
• The disease is more severe in cattle compared to buffaloes in terms of morbidity and mortality. 
• The disease is of economic importance as it can cause a temporary reduction in milk production, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to hides and, occasionally, death.

Lumby Skin Disease Transmission

• It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects, such as certain species of flies, mosquitoes, or ticks.
• Infected animals shed the virus through oral and nasal secretions, which may contaminate common feeding and water troughs.
• Thus, the disease can either spread through direct contact with the vectors or through contaminated fodder and water.

Lumby Skin Disease Symptoms

• The disease is characterized by high fever and enlarged superficial lymph nodes on the skin and peculiar multiple nodules or lumps on the skin. 
• It can also lead to death, especially in animals that have not previously been exposed to the virus or have low immunity.

Lumby Skin Disease Treatment

• There is no treatment for the virus, so prevention by vaccination is the most effective means of control.
• The infected animals receive supportive care, which involves the use of antibiotics, painkillers, and wound care sprays to treat symptoms.

Source: HT