1Preethi S and 2Kousalya Devi M.
1Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Veterinary Dispensary, Allapuram 632002, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
2Ph.D.Scholar, Division of Animal Genetics and Breeding, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132001
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease caused by a virus belonging to Poxviridae family. This virus affects both exotic and indigenous cattle breeds. However, only fewer clinical LSD cases were reported in buffaloes. The main characteristic of the disease is the presence of large skin nodules covering their entire body of the animal. The affected animal may also show reduced milk production and infertility. Outbreak of this disease mainly occurs during wet and warm seasons. Insects like mosquitoes, flies and ticks carry the virus in their feet, body hairs and body surfaces, and deposits it on the skin of the animal. It causes economic losses to farmers due to reduced productivity and also the ban of export of animals from the affected area. This disease is highly infectious, hence World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) has recommended the reporting the outbreak of this disease to the public health authorities.
Symptoms
One can identify the affected animals with the following symptoms. Symptoms usually range from milder to severe form.
- High fever ranging above 41 degree Celsius is the first symptom.
- Animal becomes dull, depressed, refuse to take feed and becomes weak.
- Swelling near the brisket region and elbow region resulting in lameness.
- Firm palpable round nodules underthe skin (2-5cm in size) develop all over the body, especially around head, neck, limbs, ventral parts of the body and udder.
- Within 7 – 15 days the nodules tend to break and blood oozes and may result in myiasis.
- Difficulty in breathing is noticed in animals infected with pox lesion.
- When these nodules heal they leave a permanent scar on the animal body.
Ethno veterinary treatment
Ethno medicine is practice of using the active compounds in the medicinal plants as treatment for diseases. An effective oral and topical ethno medicine to treat the lumpy skin disease is mentioned here.
Oral treatment for first three days of infection
| Ingredient | Quantity |
| Betel leaves | 10 nos. |
| Black pepper | 10 nos. |
| Crystal salts | 10 grams |
| Jaggery | required volume |
- Grind the above ingredients well, mix them up with jaggeryto form a paste.
- Feed the paste to the animal every 3 hours once, for first three days
Oral treatment 3 to 14 days of infection
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| Garlic | 2 nos. |
| Coriander leaves | 15grams |
| Cumin seeds | 15grams |
| Holy basil (thulsi) | 1 hand full |
| Clove leaves | 15grams |
| Black pepper | 15grams |
| Betel leaves | 5nos. |
| Shallots(small onions) | 2nos. |
| Turmeric powder | 10grams |
| Neem leaves | one hand full |
| Jaggery | Required volume |
- Grind the above ingredients well, mix them up with jaggery.
- Feed the paste to the animal at morning, evening and night
Topical treatment for open wound
| Ingredients | Quantity |
| AcalyphaIndica leaves (Kuppi, Kuppaimeni) | One hand full |
| Garlic tooth | 10 nos |
| Neem leaves | One hand full |
| Holy basil (Thulsi) | One hand full |
| Turmeric powder | 10grams |
| Henna leaves | One hand full |
| Coconut oil | 500ml |
- Grind all the above said ingredients and boil them in 500ml coconut oil.
- Cool the contents and apply the oil over the wound after cleaning the wound.
Aneffective and safer traditional treatment using medicine herbs is given for the benefit of farmers to combat the lumpy skin disease in cattle. The medicine can be prepared by the farmers using locally available medicinal herbs and administer to the animal.
