A fresh outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle and buffaloes, has prompted officials in Buldhana to issue a health alert. Farmers have been urged to take prompt action to prevent the disease's spread and safeguard their livestock by the District Information Office and Krishi Vigyan Kendra. Buldhana, a district in Maharashtra has lately seen a sudden surge in the number of infected cattle with 2 lakh cattle deaths reported. So, what do you need to know about LSD?
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What Causes Lumpy Skin Disease
Once found only in Africa and the Middle East, lumpy skin disease (LSD) has predominantly been found in Eurasia of late. When the virus was first investigated in South Africa in the 1940s, scientists found it could spread mainly through the bites of infected vectors like mosquitoes, ticks, and flies. Direct contact with infected animals or contaminated feed and water may also cause an infection. Jayanth PN, a Veterinarian based in Bengaluru, says the disease is caused by the Capripox virus, the and is classified as transboundary animal disease which essentially means it is capable of spreading far and wide across countries and regions within no span of time.
Symptoms Of Lumpy Skin Disease
According to Jayanth, following warning indicators should be watched out for by farmers and livestock keepers:
- Hard skin lumps or nodules that are dispersed throughout the body
- Fatigue and fever
- Inflamed lymph nodes
- A sharp decline in milk production
- Diminished appetite and trouble moving
- Excessive emission of mucus from the nose and eyes
- Within 4–14 days of exposure, infected cattle frequently exhibit symptoms.
Prevention:
- Administer Biolumpivaxin vaccine to all eligible animals older than three months.
- Keep infected animals away from other animals and isolate them right away.
- Use insect repellents and keep sheds clean to control vectors.
- Don't let healthy and infected animals use the same equipment.
- Make sure your pet receives routine veterinary examinations and report any questionable symptoms right away.
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Can Lumpy Skin Disease Affect Humans
It was earlier thought that the virus that causes lumpy skin disease was not zoonotic. Nonetheless, a recent human infection in Cairo, Egypt, demonstrated that LSD is contagious. Person-to-person transmission was also noted in the vicinity of the infected animals. However, these cases have been isolated and few and far in between and there's no evidence that suggests a possibility of a large scale transmission as it is seen in animals.
Bottomline
An entire herd's productivity can be affected by a single infected animal. Farmers are advised to take this warning seriously because LSD can result in long-term health problems, reproductive failure, and losses in milk production. Prevention is important for livelihood security as well as livestock protection, particularly in rural and agrarian communities. The experts strongly insist on administering Biolumpivaxin vaccine to all eligible animals at the earliest. Farmers need to be vigilant, report symptoms as soon as they appear, and take precautionary measures.