In News:

• Several states, including Gujarat and Rajasthan, have been battling the outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), a viral infection of cattle.

What’s in today’s article:

• Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) – About, spread, symptoms, prevalence, spread in India, risk to indigenous breed, govt. response

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD)

• LSD is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which is a virus of the capripoxvirus genus.
  • Sheeppox virus and goatpox virus are the other members of the genus capripoxvirus.
• The LSDV mainly affects cattle — cow and its progeny, and the Asian water buffaloes.
• According to a 2021 report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, LSD outbreaks occur in epidemics several years apart.
• As per the report, the existence of a specific reservoir for the virus is not known, nor is it known as to how and where the virus survives between epidemics.

Spread of disease

• The LSDV spreads through blood-sucking vectors like ticks and mites like houseflies, mosquitoes, etc.
• It also spreads through contaminated water, fodder and feed.
• Scientists have been advising isolation of infected animals from the healthy ones in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus.
• However, there is a problem of feral cattle in India and scientists say these free-ranging cattle could also be a reason for rapid spread of LSD.

Symptoms

• LSDV attacks the circulatory system of an animal and causes vasculitis or inflammation of blood vessels and lesions in various organs like liver, lungs, spleen, lymph nodes etc.
• In turn, it causes epidermis, outer surface of the skin, to get separated from dermis – the inner layer of the skin.
• This, in turn, leads to formation of lumps or nodules on an animal’s body. Fever, increased mucus secretion, loss of appetite etc are among other symptoms.

Prevalence

• In World
  • According to the FAO report, LSD was long restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. However, over the past decade, it spread to the Middle East and Turkey.
  • From 2015 onward, it has impacted the Balkan (southeast Europe) countries, Caucus (eastern Europe) and Russia.
• In India
  • LSD entered India, Bangladesh and China in July 2019. Since then, outbreaks of the disease have been reported from 20 Indian states.

Current Spread of Disease in India

• Since the first LSD case was reported in April this year in Kutch, the disease has spread to 26 of Gujarat’s 33 districts
  • The number of officially reported cases stood at 1.11 lakh and 4281 deaths. Thus, the fatality rate is around 4 percent.
• In Rajasthan, around 27,000 cattle heads have reportedly succumbed to the virus.

Risk to indigenous breeds

• Gujrat has the cattles of indigenous breeds like Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal, etc. It also has a sizable population of exotic/crossbred Jersey and HF cows.
• Kankrej, the coveted indigenous cattle breed of Gujarat known for being resistant to diseases and parasites, has been the worst hit by LSD.
  • Kankrej bullocks are a prized breed among farmers and loss of any bullock in the mid of Kharif season can affect agricultural yields indirectly.
• In cases of aggravated symptoms, cows stop producing milk and pregnant cows suffer miscarriages.
  • Hence, the disease can affect the dairy industry which in turn can impact the livelihood and nutritional level of many people in India.

Response of the govt.

• The Gujrat government has been ring-vaccinating healthy cattle heads in the five-km radius of an outbreak by administering them goat pox vaccine.
  • LSD being a viral disease, there is no specific cure once an animal contracts the virus and therefore vaccination is the most effective tool.
• Animal husbandry department has been providing free treatment to infected cattle. It has created a helpline number 1962 to extend help.
• The government has facilitated setting up isolation centres for feral cattle in urban areas and set up a task force to address the issue.