Guard Against Lumpy Skin Disease

Most parts of the country received good rains during the rain season and producers are generally very optimistic. Wet seasons unfortunately come with their own set of challenges and veterinarians have cautioned livestock producers to keep an eye out for elevated biting insect loads, which may lead to conditions such as lumpy skin disease (LSD).

- Koos du Pisanie

Dr. Danie van Zyl from the Kroonstad Animal Hospital says there is little that can be done once cattle have already contracted LSD. This is precisely why livestock producers must vaccinate their animals preventively.

Transmission of the disease

Lumpy skin disease, he explains, is a viral infection caused by the Capri pox virus. This virus is transmitted by biting insects such as horseflies and biting flies.

Herd animals can infect one another, especially when they share the same water and feed troughs, and the saliva of infected animals ends up in the troughs. The transmission also occurs when calves drink infected cows’ milk.

According to Dr. Van Zyl, it can also be transmitted from one animal to the next via the needles used for vaccination. “During an LSD outbreak, which normally occurs during late summer and early autumn in an above-average wet year, one should preferably use a clean needle each time an animal is vaccinated,” he explains.

Permanent lesions