Here To Stay: Understanding Lumpy Skin Disease

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Lumpy skin disease (LSD), which is spread mainly by flies, can produce a chronic debility in infected cattle similar to that caused by foot-and-mouth disease. This is according to Dr FG Davies, head of the ODA Virology Project at the Veterinary Research Laboratories in Kenya.

The nodules or ulcers that give the disease its name can occur anywhere on the skin, including the nose, udder and vulva in a cow and the scrotum in a bull. It can also occur inside the mouth.

Lesions in the mouth, pharynx and respiratory tract are common and result in rapid deterioration in condition and sometimes severe emaciation that can last for months. Serious economic losses with a high morbidity can follow an outbreak, and skin lesions can permanently damage the hide.