(THE GIST OF PIB) Lumpy skin disease

[December-2022]

The Government of India is conducting special drives to control LSD throughout the country.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), which is a virus of the capripoxvirus genus in the poxviridae family. Sheeppox virus and goatpox virus are the other members of the genus capripoxvirus.
The LSDV mainly affects cattle — cow and its progeny, and the Asian water buffaloes.
LSD outbreaks occur in epidemics several years apart. The existence of a specific reservoir for the virus is not known, nor is it known as to how and where the virus survives between epidemics.

LSD was long restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. However, over the past decade, it spread to the Middle East and Turkey. From 2015 onward, it has impacted the Balkan (southeast Europe) countries, Caucus (eastern Europe) and Russia.
LSD entered India, Bangladesh and China in July 2019. Since then, outbreaks of the disease have been reported from 20 Indian states.