Authorities across India are on high alert as many states are reeling under the impact of lumpy skin disease (LSD). The viral epidemic that afflicts livestock has already killed about more than 80,000 cattle in the country. Bloodsucking insects, including mosquitoes, flies, lice, and wasps, generally spread the disease through direct contact as well as tainted food and drink.

When was the first case of LSD reported in India in 2022?

In April, the Kutch area of Gujarat received the first reports of the sickness. Since then, it has swiftly spread to other states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh among others. The state worst-affected from the pandemic is Rajasthan from where 600–700 cattle fatalities are reported every day as compared to less than 100 fatalities in other states.

The seriousness of the outbreak is demonstrated by the approximately 21 percent decrease in milk output that Rajasthan has seen in August. According to a senior representative of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF), the epidemic has had an impact on milk production, and the state’s collection has decreased by 5–6 lakh litres per day.

So, what exactly is lumpy skin, and how does it spread?

The LSDV is a contagious vector-borne illness that mostly affects host animals like cows and water buffaloes and is carried by vectors including mosquitoes, certain biting flies, and ticks.

In scientific terms, the virus is a member of the poxviridae family and of the genus capripoxvirus. Smallpox and monkeypox viruses that afflict humans are a part of the same family. The immunological response to the LSDV is comparable to that of the sheep pox virus (SPPV) and the goat pox virus (GTPV), or it exhibits antigenic similarities with those viruses.

Since it is not a zoonotic virus, people cannot get the illness. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations claims that infected animals exude the virus through their oral and nasal secretions, which may contaminate communal feeding and drinking troughs. Therefore, the illness can spread through contaminated food and drink as well as through direct contact with the vectors. It can also spread during artificial insemination through animal semen, according to studies.

The lymph nodes of the infected animal are affected by LSD, which gives it its name since the nodes grow and resemble lumps on the skin. On the head, neck, limbs, genitalia, and perineum of infected cattle are cutaneous nodules that range in size from 2 to 5 cm

The nodules may subsequently grow into ulcers and finally form skin scabs. The disease also causes high temperature, fast decrease in milk production, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, appetite loss, damaged hides, thinness or weakness in animals, infertility, and miscarriages.

According to the FAO, the incubation period, or the interval between infection and symptoms, lasts around 28 days, ranging from 4 to 14 days. The severity of the illness ranges from two to forty-five percent, and the fatality rate is now less than ten percent. However, the reported mortality of the current epidemic in India is up to fifteen percent, particularly in cases being reported in the country’s western region (Rajasthan).

Is it safe to have LSD affected cattle’s milk?

According to studies, it has not been feasible to determine if the milk from the sick cow contains a live and contagious LSDV virus. The FAO does point out that a significant amount of milk in Asia is treated after it is collected, either by being pasteurised, boiled, or dried to produce milk powder. By using this method, the virus is either eliminated or rendered inactive.

Notably, the Joint Director of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) informed that milk from calves with Lumpy Skin Disease is safe to ingest because it is a non-zoonotic illness.

What are the economic repercussions of the disease?

With an annual production of roughly 210 million tonnes India is the world’s largest milk producer. But due to the current outbreak in India the dairy industry is facing a huge financial loss. Smaller farmers are the ones who are affected the most.

The lumpy skin illness has had a particularly negative impact on Rajasthan where milk output has decreased by three to six lakh litre per day. According to reports, milk supply from Punjab, Himachal, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat has decreased as a result of the disease’s spread.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the disease’s spread may result in “significant” and “severe” economic losses. Due to weakness and loss of appetite brought on by mouth ulcers, the condition causes the animal to produce less milk. Poor growth, decreased draught power, and reproductive issues such abortions, infertility, and a shortage of semen for artificial insemination can all contribute to revenue losses. The whole value chain is economically strained by movement and trade restrictions following infection.

From where the disease originated and how did it reach India?

The illness was initially discovered in Zambia in 1929 and quickly spread to much of Africa, West Asia, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia. More recently, in 2019 it spread from South Asia to Bangladesh and reached India in August of the same year as initial cases discovered in Odisha and West Bengal.

What is the government doing to contain the virus?

In a significant development, two ICAR institutes have created an indigenous LSD vaccine that the center intends to commercialise and distribute within the next three to four months. The government is using “Goat Pox Vaccine” to stop the spread of LSD which is helpful in preventing the spread of disease.

The Mumbai Police have banned the transportation of cattle to preempt the infiltration of the virus in the city. The directive became effective on September 14 and will remain in effect till October 13. More than ten states and Union Territories now have cattle that are affected by the viral affliction. The spread of the illness, which has become a death knell for the dairy industry, is being managed by the Centre and the states, according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement last week.