Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD)

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.

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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