Lumpy skin disease
Introduction
Lumpy skin disease is an acute or sub-acute disease in water buffalo and cattle. It is caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) belongs to genus Capripoxvirus. Capripox virus is related to goat pox virus and sheep pox virus. It is reported that LSDV infects cattles experimentally not naturally. LSD virus has lipid envelop and double-stranded DNA structure.
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| How to prevent outbreak of Lumpy skin disease |
Clinicopathology
LSDV causes fever, salivation, appetite loss, lachrimation, reduction in producing milk, discharge of nasal, enlarging lymph nodes, decrease body weight, and death. It is characterized by raised skin nodules. Skin nodules raise on neck, legs, tail and back. After starting fever skin nodules increase. Risk of myiasisis caused by necrotic and ulcerative nodules. It can cause mastitis, orchitis and abortion. In aborted fetuses nodules are not analyzed. Muzzle, nasal cavity, dental pad, inside of the lips, udder, vagina, uterus, trachea, abomasum, gingiva are affected.
Transmission
Lumpy skin disease can transmit in wild ruminants, cattle and water buffalo. It is seemed that sheep and goats are not infected by LSDV. LSDV can remain in ambient temperature. Virus can remain in lesions for longer duration. Virus is released in milk, semen, saliva, lachrymal secretions and blood.
It is travelled by blood-sucking insects, arthropods, dirty feed, contaminated water, saliva, semen and nasal secretions. Aedesaegypti completely transfer virus to cattle. Culexquinquefasiantus, Anopheles stephensi Liston and Culicoidesnubeculosus are not able to transmit virus.
Epidemiology
For the first time LASDV was observed in Zambia. Then this disease was analyzed in Africa, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia. It has been traveled to Azerbaijan, Russia, Greece, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria since 2015.
Risk Factors
LSD can be dispersed by warm season, seasonal rains and humid climate. Both sexes of cattle, all ages and breeds of cattle, management type, common water source are susceptible to viral disease.
Diagnosis
By using conventional PCR, real-time PCR techniques can diagnose LSDV, sheep and goat poxviruses. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, virus isolation, electron microscopy, serological techniques and virus neutralization are used to detect LSDV. For sensitivity and specificity western blot test is difficult and costly to perform.
Prevention and Control
- To halt outbreak, First of all segregate sick animals from healthier ones.
- Check for ectoparasites like ticks on animal body and flies, mosquitoes in animal shed.
- Eliminate ectoparasites using Trichlorofon powder/cypermethrin sprays in area.
- Treat sick animals against clinical signs they exhibit.
- Implement strict biosecurity measures to contain spread of the disease.
- Use good hygiene measures while approaching each and every animal.
- In endemic areas only effective method to control disease is vaccination.
- LSD vaccine is used against lumpy skin disease.
- Anti-microbials, anti-inflammatory supportive therapy and anti-septic solutions are used for symptomatic treatment of LSD.