Lumpy Skin Disease in Cattle: Symptoms and Prevention

Quick answer

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease of cattle and water buffalo. It starts with fever, then firm, round lumps come up in the skin, often with swollen lymph nodes and a sharp fall in milk. It spreads mainly through biting insects such as flies, mosquitoes and ticks. Your main defences are vaccination, insect control and getting suspected cases away from the herd fast. If you suspect it, call your vet and report it to local veterinary authorities as your local rules require.

What is lumpy skin disease?

LSD is caused by a capripoxvirus, a relative of the viruses behind sheep pox and goat pox. It was long common in Africa and parts of the Middle East, and in recent years it has spread through much of South Asia and further afield. It is not considered a disease of humans.

Compared with some other cattle diseases, few animals die of it. The money lost is another matter. Farmers lose milk and weight gain, cows abort, bulls and cows can be left temporarily or permanently infertile, hides are damaged and recovery drags on. Severe cases can die, particularly young calves and animals that pick up secondary infections.

Symptoms to watch for

Signs usually show up in stages over one to two weeks:

1. Fever and dullness. The animal goes off feed, looks depressed and milk yield falls sharply.
2. Watery eyes and nose, and drooling. The discharge may thicken over time.
3. Swollen lymph nodes, especially the one in front of the shoulder and the ones under the jaw and in front of the hind leg.
4. Skin nodules. Firm, raised, round lumps, roughly 0.5–5 cm (about 0.2–2 in) across, appear on the head, neck, udder, legs, genitals and sometimes all over. There may be a few or hundreds.
5. Later changes. Nodules can burst, scab over and leave deep sores that draw flies. Legs and the brisket may swell, and the animal goes lame.

Some infected animals show only mild signs or none at all. That is one reason the disease spreads so easily.

Conditions that can look similar

Skin lumps can also come from insect bite reactions, ringworm, warts, pseudo-lumpy skin disease and some allergic reactions. Only a vet, often with laboratory testing, can confirm LSD.

How it spreads

Biting insects are the main route: stable flies, mosquitoes, biting midges and ticks. That's why outbreaks tend to surge in warm, wet seasons.

It also travels with animals. Buying or moving infected cattle spreads it, and crowded markets are a common meeting point. Shared needles and equipment can carry it if one needle is used on several animals, and direct contact between animals plays only a minor role.

Prevention

Vaccination

Where vaccine is available, it is the most effective tool you have. Many countries use live attenuated vaccines, often given to the whole herd. Ask your vet or local livestock department which vaccine is approved where you live, when to give it (ideally before the insect season) and how often to repeat it. Follow your vet's schedule for calves.

Insect and tick control

• Get rid of standing water, manure heaps and wet bedding where flies breed.
• Use the cattle insect control methods your vet recommends, following label and withdrawal instructions.
• Keep sheds clean and well ventilated; use fans or nets where practical.
• Check regularly for ticks and treat as advised.

Biosecurity

• Quarantine new cattle for at least two to four weeks before they join the herd, and watch them for fever and lumps.
• Buy from sources you trust and ask about vaccination history.
• Use a new or properly sterilised needle for every animal.
• Cut down visitors and vehicles while there are outbreaks in your area.

What to do if you suspect LSD

1. Isolate the animal away from the herd, under insect netting or in a fly-controlled area if you can.
2. Call your vet and report it to local veterinary authorities as your local rules require. Don't move, sell or buy cattle until you've had advice.
3. Do not use the same equipment, feed buckets or needles on healthy animals.
4. Follow advice on milk and carcasses. Rules on using milk from sick animals and disposing of dead ones differ from place to place, so ask your vet or authority.

Treatment and nursing care

There's no specific antiviral treatment. A vet will usually treat the symptoms and head off complications, for example with anti-inflammatory medicine for fever and pain and antibiotics if open sores become infected with bacteria. Stick exactly to your vet's doses and withdrawal periods.

Nursing is where you can make a real difference. Offer soft, tasty feed and clean water at all times, and tempt the appetite with fresh green fodder. Give shade and a clean, dry, soft place to lie. Keep sores clean and covered from flies so maggots don't get in. In milking cows, watch for mastitis, because sores on the udder can become infected.

Recovery can take several weeks to months, and milk yield and growth will usually stay down for a while.

When to see a vet

Call a vet the same day if you notice:

• Fever, loss of appetite and a sudden drop in milk in one or more animals
• New firm lumps in the skin of any cow, calf or buffalo
• Swollen lymph nodes, swollen legs or brisket
• Difficulty breathing (nodules can form in the airways)
• Open, fly-infested sores or maggots
• Abortion in pregnant cows
• Several animals in a herd falling sick at once

In Pakistan

Lumpy skin disease spread widely in Pakistan in 2022 and hit dairy farmers hard, especially in Sindh and Punjab. Provincial livestock departments run the vaccination campaigns, so contact your local veterinary hospital or livestock office about vaccine supply and reporting. Cases tend to climb in the hot, humid monsoon months when flies and mosquitoes multiply. Vaccinate and step up fly control before then. Take extra care with cattle bought from crowded mandis, including before Eid, and quarantine them when they arrive. See Eid al-Adha: How to Choose a Healthy Sacrifice Animal for pre-purchase checks, and Raising Cattle, Goats and Sheep for everyday herd health.

Buying cattle? Look for vaccinated animals with clear seller details on Paalo.