Lewis Farming Co

Lumpy skin disease


Description given on Youtube:
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a pox viral disease of cattle, characterized by fever, multiple firm, circumscribed skin nodules, necrotic plaques in the mucous membranes (chiefly of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity), mastitis, orchitis and swelling of the peripheral lymph nodes. The disease is caused by a capripox virus of which the prototype strain, “Neethling” was first insolated in South Africa. Clinically the skin lesions of LSD closely resemble those of pseudo-lumpy skin disease caused by the Allerton strain of bovid herpesvirus 2. Lumpy skin disease is categorized as a list A disease by the Office International des Epizooties. Although it does not hava a high mortality rate (usually less than ten per cent), it is of economic importance because of permanent damage to hides, the prolonged debilitating effect it may have on severly affected animals with consequent losses resulting from reduced weight gain, temporary or permanent cessation of milk production as a result of mastitis, temporary or permanent infertility or even sterility in bulls as a consequence of orchitis, and abortion in approximately ten per cent of pregnant cows.

Produced for: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Special Programme: EMPRESS (Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases) which complements the special programme on food safety.

Production/Graphic design/Animations: Mr C Zwennis, Ms S Pond and Mr J Taute

Script writing: Prof JAW Coetzer, Prof RC Tustin and Prof IG Horak

Copyright: University of Pretoria