Lumpy skin disease spreads to 25,000 bovines in Rajasthan

Officials said that Lumpy skin disease (LSD) was first noticed in April this year but has spread to multiple districts in the past few weeks.

The outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Rajasthan has resulted in the death of more than 1,200 bovines.
It results in rashes on the skin of bovines and is highly contagious.

This disease is a contagious viral disease that affects cattle.
It’s caused by the Neethling virus from the Poxviridae family of viruses.
The virus is transmitted by insects that feed on blood, including mosquitoes, flies, and ticks.

Historically, LSD has remained confined to Africa, where it was first discovered in 1929.
In 2015, it made an incursion into the European part of Turkey and Greece.
Since 2019, the disease has spread through China and Southeast Asia.
In 2021 the disease was confirmed in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
In 2022 it was officially reported by Indonesia on the island of Sumatra.

Once infected, cows display enlarged lymph nodes and nodules on and under their skin.
Infected cattle also display runny noses, fever, and swelling of the legs.

There is no specific vaccine against LSD available in India.
Several states have authorised the use of the goat pox vaccine for treating LSD as the virus is antigenically similar to sheep and goat pox.

The OIE is an intergovernmental organisation tasked with enhancing animal health all over the world.
It is headquartered in Paris, France.
There are 181 member nations. India is one of the participating nations.
The OIE creates normative documents containing guidelines that its member nations can employ to safeguard themselves against spreading illnesses and infections. The Terrestrial Animal Health Code is one of them.
The World Trade Organization recognises OIE standards as traditional global sanitary standards.

Pic Courtesy: The New Indian Express

Content Source: The Hindu