Lumpy skin disease (LSD)
A pox virus of cattle that arrived in India’s herds recently and spread fast — rarely a mass killer, but a heavy hit to milk, draught power and hides across a whole district in one fly season.
- Cause
- Capripoxvirus (LSD virus)
- Spreads mainly by
- Biting flies, ticks, mosquitoes
- Peak season
- Warm, humid, high-fly months
- Control
- Vaccinate + insect control
Overview
LSD is caused by a Capripoxvirus, related to the sheep and goat pox viruses. It mainly spreads through the bites of blood-feeding insects — stable flies, horse flies, mosquitoes and ticks — so outbreaks track the warm, humid, high-fly months and cluster along water and in crowded sheds. It also passes through shared troughs, direct contact and the milk of an infected cow to her calf.
After 1–2 weeks the animal runs a fever, its eyes and nose water, and the lymph nodes swell. Then the classic skin nodules appear — firm, round, 2–5 cm lumps involving the full thickness of the skin, from a few to hundreds, all over the body including the muzzle, eyelids, udder and inside the legs. Nodules can ulcerate and scab; sores may form in the mouth, windpipe and gut.
Most animals recover over several weeks. The cost is in the meantime: a sharp milk drop that often does not fully recover, weight loss, lameness from leg nodules, mastitis where the udder is involved, abortion in some pregnant cows, and permanent hide damage. Bulls can be temporarily or permanently infertile. Control is vaccination ahead of the fly season plus insect control.
This is a general guide, not a substitute for a veterinarian. Always call a vet for diagnosis, dosage and treatment of a sick animal.
Signs to look for
- Fever, dullness and a marked drop in milk yield, often before the lumps are obvious.
- Watery discharge from the eyes and nose; visibly enlarged lymph nodes at the shoulder and stifle.
- Firm, round, raised skin nodules 2–5 cm across, from a handful to hundreds, all over the body, muzzle, eyelids, udder and legs.
- Nodules that scab, slough and leave deep holes ("sit-fasts") in the hide; secondary fly-strike of open sores.
- Swollen brisket and legs (oedema), lameness, and reluctance to move.
- In some animals, sores in the mouth and eyes, drooling, and abortion in pregnant cows.
How it spreads
- The bites of blood-feeding insects — stable flies, horse flies, mosquitoes and hard ticks — the main route by far.
- Shared water troughs and feed mangers contaminated with saliva and nasal discharge.
- Direct close contact in crowded sheds and at watering points.
- From an infected cow to her calf through milk, and possibly through natural service or contaminated semen.
- Movement of infected animals to new areas — how the disease jumps from district to district.
Vaccination and prevention
- Vaccinate all cattle and buffalo ahead of the fly season with the vaccine recommended by the state (a live attenuated goat-pox or LSD vaccine).
- Repeat annually; vaccinate calves as advised and ensure whole-village coverage so the virus has nowhere to circulate.
- Cut the insect load: remove dung and stagnant water, use fly traps and approved pour-on or spray insecticides on animals, and screen or spray sheds.
- Quarantine every newly bought animal for at least 28 days and do not bring animals in from an area with a known outbreak.
- Use separate needles per animal and disinfect shared equipment.
Nursing a sick animal
- There is no antiviral cure — good nursing over 3–6 weeks is what pulls animals through.
- A vet gives anti-inflammatory and fever medicine, antibiotics to control secondary infection of skin and lung sores, and fluids for animals that stop eating.
- Clean ulcerated nodules and apply an antiseptic plus fly-repellent dressing daily; keep wounds free of maggots.
- Offer soft, palatable feed and clean water within easy reach; treat mouth sores with a mild antiseptic wash.
- Isolate sick animals under a fly-proof shelter, handle and milk them last, and keep them out of the shared herd until every scab has healed.
- Report the outbreak — LSD is notifiable and the veterinary department coordinates ring vaccination.
Animals affected
Open an enterprise page for its full feeding, breed and vaccination-calendar guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the milk from a cow with lumpy skin disease safe to drink?
Do not use milk from a visibly sick cow — yield is low, she is likely on medication, and udder nodules mean a high mastitis risk. Boiling destroys the virus, and people do not catch LSD from milk, but wait until the cow has recovered and any drug-withdrawal period is over before using or selling her milk.
Can people or other animals catch lumpy skin disease?
LSD does not infect humans — it is purely a cattle and buffalo disease. It does not affect goats, sheep, dogs or poultry. It can spread to any unvaccinated cattle or buffalo nearby, mostly through biting insects, which is why controlling flies and ticks matters as much as the vaccine.
My cow recovered but her milk never came back fully. Why?
A hard bout of LSD damages the udder and the animal’s overall condition, and the milk drop in the current lactation is often permanent — she may only return to full yield after her next calving. Cows with udder nodules that turned into mastitis may lose a quarter for good.
Should I vaccinate during an active outbreak or wait?
Vaccinate immediately on veterinary advice. Ring vaccination of all healthy animals around an outbreak is the standard response — it slows spread even once cases have started. Combine it straight away with intensive fly and tick control, and isolate every affected animal.
Signs, prevention and treatment follow ICAR, DAHD and state veterinary-university practice; vaccine schedules are the commonly notified ones and may vary by region or outbreak status. Always confirm with a veterinarian before treating an animal. editorial policy.