Mahendra Pal^1,, Kirubel Paulos Gutama²

The lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a member of the Poxviridae family of viruses, causes lumpy skin disease (LSD). The virus is highly host-specific and causes disease in cattle and water buffalo. The disease was endemic in most Sub-Saharan African countries, spreading to the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has classified LSD as one of the diseases that must be reported due to its tendency to spread quickly across borders and to the significant productivity losses it causes in cattle. It is frequently an arthropod-borne infectious disease but also spreads through bodily discharges and infected fomites. The symptoms of LSD can range from subclinical to severe illness. Fever, nodules on the skin, mucous membranes, and internal organs, emaciation, swollen lymph nodes, skin edema, and occasionally death are some symptoms. The lumpy skin disease virus was believed not to be zoonotic in nature. However, a recent human infection in Cairo, Egypt, proved that LSD is communicable to humans. The area where the infected animals were also where the person-to-person transmission was observed. Due to its potential to cause temporary decreases in milk production, infertility, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to hides, and death due to secondary bacterial infections, LSD is significant economically. Based on the typical clinical features of the disease, LSD is frequently diagnosed in the field. The most popular method for diagnosing LSD is using conventional or real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to find viral DNA. Strict quarantine, vector control, and prophylactic vaccination are the best methods for preventing and controlling the disease. Since LSD has emerged as a zoonosis, proper care must be observed by the staff working with livestock, especially cattle, to check the spread of infection.

bovine, epidemiology, lumpy skin disease virus, poxviridae, transboundary animal diseases, zoonosis