Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD): History, Signs, Prevention & Control
Dr. Sachin Uttamrao Raut,
Veterinary Surgeon,
Department of Veterinary Surgery & Radiology,
College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Parbhani
Email- drsuraut@gmail.com
Cell No.7588571511
History-:
Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a highly infectious disease of cattle. This disease is caused by a virus lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) which belongs to family Poxviridae. Genus of this virus is Capripoxvirus, Sheep poxvirus and Goat poxvirus are the two other virus species in this genus. Another name of the virus is Neethling Virus. According to the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) Lumpy Skin Disease is an emerging threat to livestock worldwide. Lumpy Skin Disease infects cattle and water buffalo mainly through vectors such as blood-feeding insects, LSD virus mainly infects cattle and zebus but it can also infect animals like giraffes, impalas. Cattle breeds like Jersey and Holstein- Friesian (HF) are more susceptible to this disease. Cows at peak lactation and young calves show more severe symptoms though animals of all age groups are susceptible to this disease.
Lumpy Skin Disease was firstly seen in North Rhodesia, Zambia in the year 1929 as an epidemic disease. This disease was initially thought it was due to an allergic reaction in cattle by insect bites (McDonald, 1931) or as a result of either poisoning. A disease with similar clinical signs occurred between the year 1943 and 1945 in Zimbabwe, Republic of South Africa and Botswana ( Al- Salihi, 2014). Near about eight million cattle were affected in South Africa in the year 1949. Further, the LSD spread throughout African continent between the 1950s and 1980s affecting the cattle population in Cameroon, Tanzania, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan. From the year 1974 LSD was spread to west to Nigeria. Furthermore LSD was transmitted to Ghana, Mali, Mauritania and Liberia (OIE, 2010). Lumpy Skin Disease was restricted in African continent till 1986 (Gumbe, 2018).
In the year 1989 there was Lumpy Skin Disease outbreak in Israel. This outbreak of this disease was the first instance in north of the Sahara desert and outside the African continent. This outbreak was thought to be the result of infected Stomoxys Calcitrans being carried from Ismailiya in Egypt. In the year 1989 during month of August and September, out of seventeen dairy herds fourteen herds were infected with Lumpy Skin Disease in Peduyim. All the cattle as well as small flocks of goats and sheep in the village ware slaughtered.
Lumpy Skin Disease occurrences have been reported throughout the past decade in Middle Eastern, European and West Asian regions which includes countries like Israel, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain etc. In 2012, it spread from the Middle East to south-east Europe, affecting EU Member States (Greece and Bulgaria) and several other countries in the Balkans. In the year 2015 first reported outbreak of lumpy skin disease occurred in the territory of the Russian Federation. It became widely spread in the south of Russia. Lumpy skin disease spread in the territory of Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan pose a threat to the Russian Federation.
In the year 2019 during month of July, Lumpy Skin Disease was first reported in Bangladesh. In this outbreak approximately 500,000 animals were infected. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended mass vaccination. How the LSD virus entered in Bangladesh does not know. In India, Lumpy Skin Disease had been reported in August, 2019 in Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj District of Odisha ( Sudhakar et al.,2020).
In the year 2022 an outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease caused death of more than 7000 cattle in Pakistan. In India during the month of July to September 2022 the Lumpy Skin Disease outbreak resulted in the death of more than 80,000 cattle. In Rajasthan state majority of death reported. Inter-state and inter-district movement of cattle in number of states has been restricted. In Maharashtra state the first case was reported in Jalgaon district. In September 2020, a strain of the virus was discovered in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra the Lumpy Skin Disease spreads in 32 district out of 36 district and total 3,622 deaths were reported. Rapid mass vaccination drive in Maharashtra results in control over death toll due to Lumpy Skin Disease.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), of which India is a member, in Lumpy Skin Disease mortality rates of one to five percent are considered usual.
Transmission of Disease-:
Outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease are associated with high humidity and high temperature. It is generally seen during wet summer and autumn months, whoever outbreaks can also occurs during the dry season. Blood- feeding insects like biting flies (e.g. Stomoxys calcitrans, Biomyia fascista), male ticks (Riphicephalus appendiculatus, Amblyomma hebraaum) and mosquitos may act as mechanical vectors for spread the disease. The importance of different arthropod vectors is likely to vary in different areas depending on feeding behavior of the vector. Rarely transmission occurs through direct contact and contaminated fodder and water.
The transmission of virus can occur through blood, saliva, nasal discharge, semen and lacrimal discharge. The virus is not found in urine and stool. The virus of this disease can remain viable in infected tissue for more than 120 days. Pregnant cows infected with this disease deliver calves with skin lesions. Skin lesions, scabs contain high amount of Lumpy Skin Disease virus. Placental transmission of this virus was reported in one case.
Morbidity of this disease is highest in in wet and warm weather; it is lower during dry season. Mortality rate is lower, but sometimes may get increased up to 40%.
Clinical Signs:-
The incubation period or the time between infection and symptoms is about 28 days according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Animals infected with the disease shows clinical signs like fever, depression, and characteristic skin nodules. Once the disease occurs in a herd, it is very difficult to eradicate due to subclinical infections and the presence of insects capable of spreading the virus. The clinical signs include, high fever (104- 107°F), firm raised skin nodules up to 50mm in diameter develop around the head, neck, genitals and limbs. Nodules can develop on any part of the body. Scabs develop in the center of the nodules after which the scabs fall off, leaving large holes that may become infected. Animal shows depression. Swelling on limbs, brisket and genitals may occur. Animal get reluctance to move and eat. There is Nasal discharge and ocular discharge. Superficial lymph nodes get enlarged. There is gradual drop in milk production. Abortion seen in pregnant animals.
Clinically, disease may range between subclinical disease to severe illness or death. Affected bulls may not work due to painful lesions on their prepuce, and cows may abort or become anestrus. Live neonates or aborted fetuses from infected cows may also present with skin lesions. In severely affected animals, lesions can also develop in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. Pneumonia is a common, and often fatal, complication.
Treatment-:
As Lumpy Skin Disease is viral disease, there is no specific treatment against it. Hence one should go with the symptomatic treatment. Use of antibiotics for five to seven days to avoid the complication of secondary bacterial infection is useful. Injections of antihistamines, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretics and for anorexia liver tonic along with multi vitamin should be given.
Prevention & Control-:
It is always said that “The prevention is better than the cure”.
Outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease can be controlled by quarantines, culling of severely infected animals, properly disposal of carcasses, cleaning and proper disinfection of the premises, control over the insects. Biting insects that have fed on infected cattle may travel or be blown for substantial disease. The movement of contaminated hides represents another potential means for transmission.
Strictly ban on animal transportation from infected area to non-infected areas. Newly purchased animal must be isolated before introduction to the healthy hard. Purchase of animal from the endemic areas should be restricted; in fact it should be banned.
Networking and information by rising the awareness and education, epidemiological investigations, rapid diagnosis and rapid notification. Amongst these control measures, removal of infection plays major role in controlling of Lumpy Skin Disease.
Vaccination is the most effective way of control the Lumpy Skin Disease at present. The goat pox vaccines and sheep pox vaccines are effective against the LSD virus. In endemic areas vaccination against LSD has been successfully practiced. Vaccines were helpful in eradication during an outbreak in Israel. Strengthening active and passive surveillance is important. Spreading awareness on risk mitigation among all stakeholders involved. Creating large protection and surveillance zones and vaccination zones.
Some important points regarding Lumpy Skin Disease-
- Studies say that it has not been possible to ascertain the presence of viable LSD Virus in milk derived from the infected animal.
- However, that a large portion of the milk in India is processed after collection and is either boiled or pasteurized.
- In this process the virus get inactivated or destroyed. Therefore it is always advised to boil the milk before consumption.
Economic loss due to Lumpy Skin Disease-
- LSD leads to reduction in milk production as animal becomes weak; also the animal owner bears the expenses of treatment that means there is dual loss of the dairy farmer.
- The income losses can also be due to poor growth, reduced draught power capacity and reproductive problems associated with abortions, infertility, lack of semen etc.
- Movement and trade ban after infection also put an economic strain on the whole value chain.
Why India is at higher risk of LSD?
- India is world’s largest milk producer at about 210 million tones annually.
- In Rajasthan state outbreak of LSD causes reduction in milk production, which lessen by near about three to six lakh liters per day.
- India is also has the largest buffalo population in the world.
References-
Ahmed N., Doley S, Barlaskar SA, Nath AJ, Yadav SN, 2020, Lumpy skin disease: an emerging bovine viral infection in India. Ind. J,Anim, Hlth 59(2) 137-142
Al-salihi KA 2014, Lumpy skin disease: review of literature , Mirror Res Vet Sci Anim, 3(3):6-23
Gumbe AAF,2018. Review on lumpy skin disease and its economic impacts in Ethiopia, J. Dairy Vet. Anim. Res, 7(2):39-46
MacDonald RAS, 1931. Pseudo- urticaria of cattle, North Rhodesia Department of Animal Health, Annual Report 1930,pp20-21
OIE, 2010, OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. Lumpy skin disease, p p 768-778
Sudhakar SB, Mishra N, Kalaiyarasu S, Jhade SK Hemadri D et al., 2020 Lumpy skin disease (LSD) outbreak in cattle in Odisha state, India in August 2019: epidemiology features and molecular studies. Transbound Emerg Dis. Doi10.1111/tbed.13579
