Lumpy skin disease virus that belongs to a specific family named Poxviridae including subfamily Chordopoxviridae. This virus include genus Capripoxvirus. Mostly this disease occur in cows or cattle family. Lumpy skin disease is a viral infection of the cattle. Specifically this disease found in Africa. This disease may spread into the middle east, Asia and eastern Europe. This disease is a type of skin infection or it a type of skin disease in an infectious, eruptive, occasionally fatal disease of the cattle characterized by the nodules on the skin and mainly other parts of the body.
This virus spread more secondary bacterial infection often aggravates the condition. This disease spread in recent geographic area in international concern.
Etiology/Epidemiology/Cause Of Lumpy Skin Disease : LSD In Cattle
This disease is mainly caused by LSD virus or virus include genus Capripoxvirus. The causal virus is related to the sheep pox. This disease seems to be sporadically and epidemically. This disease effects all the cattle during outbreak or the LSD in a particular area. This disease mostly occur in wet summer season but it may be occur in summer season also. Experimentally this disease spread by ticks found on the skin of cattle. This disease transmitted by infected saliva. Direct contact can also cause disease in healthy animals.
The main cause of this lumpy skin disease is LSD Virus.
Symptoms of Lumpy Skin Disease : Lumpy Skin Disease ( LSD )
Main symptoms of this disease formation of nodules on skin of the cattle. Nodules are well circumscribed, round, slightly raised, firm and painful. Infected cattle develop fever, lacrimation, nasal discharge and hypersalivation. The incubation period is the 4 – 14 days. There are specific region where nodules can develop such as on muzzle, inside nasal cavity and buccal mucus membranes. The skin nodules contain a firm, creamy gray or yellow mass of tissue. Lymph nodes may swell and edema develops in the udder, brisket and the legs.
The symptoms are following as : Lumpy Skin Disease
- Nodules up to 50 mm in diameter.
- Scabs in the center of nodules.
- Swelling in limbs, brisket and genitalia.
- Difficulty in movement and eating.
- Nasal and ocular discharges may be seen.
- Enlarged superficial lymph nodes.
- Abortion in cattle.
- Abortion.
Diagnosis of Lumpy Skin Disease : LSD In Cattle
Diagnosis of lumpy skin disease done by histopathology, virus isolation or PCR. Some time this disease may seems to be false lumpy skin disease or pseudo lumpy skin disease. And that cause by herpes virus ( Bovine herpes virus ). With nodules lesions may seen on the skin of the cattle. Pseudo lumpy skin disease is the milder skin disease than true lumpy skin disease but the differential diagnosis may depend on the result of the reports of the lumpy skin disease. The pox virus of the lumpy skin disease can be demonstrated by the electron microscopy in the early skin lesions. The both diseases may be demonstrated by PCR.
Treatment and Prevention of the lumpy skin disease in cattle : Lumpy Skin Disease ( LSD )
This disease prevented by the vaccine named as goat pox vaccine. Vaccine help to control the highly transmitted ability in other animals. Vaccination with attenuated virus offer the most promising method of control and was effective in halting the spread of the disease in the Balkans. Administration of antibiotics helps to control the secondary infection and the good care may help to reduce the accumulation of such painful nodules. Quarantine restrictions have proved to be of limited use. With antibiotics few analgesics and non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs should be given during lumpy treatment. A highly nutrition fulfilled diet must be given to the cattle. Cleaning of lesions should be done with potassium permanganate solution.