Lumpy Skin Disease and Treatment

 

What is Lumpy Skin Disease?

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is caused by infection of cattle or water buffalo with the poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). The virus is one of three closely related species within the genus capripoxvirus, the other two species being Sheeppox virus and Goatpox virus.

How the Lumpy disease spreads

The transmission of LSD is not completely understood. The main two routes of transmission are mechanical transmission by arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies and the movement of infected animals. The disease can also be spread by fomites through such things as contaminated equipment and in some cases directly from animal to animal.

Symptoms of  Lumpy Skin Disease

Cattle, water buffalo and banteng infected with LSD will have the following symptoms:

1. fever
2. depression
3. tiredness
4. skin nodules:

Lumpy skin disease is spreading fast in Pakistan

Meer Bukhsh, a cattle farmer based in the Thatta district of Pakistan, is devastated. His 20 cows – his livelihood – have been infected by the rare Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). Bukhsh and his son Meeral knew nothing about LSD before February 2022, when two of his cattle got infected and died within a month.

What animals get lumpy skin disease?

Lumpy skin disease is a disease of cattle, including zebus. A few cases have been reported in Asian water buffalo.

How can my animal get lumpy skin disease?

Lumpy skin disease is primarily spread between animals by biting insects (vector), such as mosquitoes and biting flies. Less commonly, the virus may be spread by direct contact to the skin lesions, saliva, nasal discharge, milk, or semen of infected animals.

How does lumpy skin disease affect my animal?

 Disease can vary from mild to severe; younger animals are generally more severely affected. Animals will have a fever, be lethargic and unwilling to eat. Animals may have discharge from the eyes and nose, drop in milk production and weight loss.

Lumpy Skin Disease is ravaging the lives of cattle farmers

Following the growing number of LSD cases in Sindh province, we had to deal with a public that was caught up in certain falsehood, for example, that the virus could affect humans via the milk and meat of diseased animals, says Dr Solangi, a veterinary doctor in the Sindh livestock department.

Comparative studies on lumpy skin disease virus in human

Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV), capripoxvirus, family poxviridae, was recently (2018-2019- till present) exhibiting its characteristic zoonosis [animal to human]. Moreover, the person- to- person direct transmission [infectious disease] were recorded.

How to report lumpy skin disease

If you notice anything unusual or suspicious

1. call the emergency animal disease watch hotline on 0800 092 11 or
2. Contact your local veterinary or livestock bio-security officer.