Context:
With the lumpy skin disease spreading fast among bovines in western and northern Rajasthan, cattle-rearers in the State are suffering heavy losses. The infection has spread to about 25,000 cattle in the last couple of months and resulted in the death of more than 1,200 animals.
Relevance:
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology
About Lumpy Skin Disease
- It is caused by infection of cattle or buffalo with the poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV).
- The virus is one of three closely related species within the genus capripoxvirus, the other two species being Sheeppox virus and Goatpox virus.
Symptoms:
- It appears as nodules of two to five-centimetre diameter all over the body, particularly around the head, neck, limbs, udder and genitals.
- The lumps gradually open up like large and deep wounds.
Transmission:
- The LSD virus easily spreads by blood-sucking insects like mosquitoes, flies and ticks and through saliva and contaminated water and food.
Spread:
- Historically, LSD has remained confined to Africa, where it was first discovered in 1929, and parts of West Asia.
- LSD was first reported in Asia and the Pacific region in 2019 in north west China, Bangladesh and India.
Treatment:
- No treatment is available for the disease so prevention by vaccination is the most effective means of control.
-Source: The Hindu
