Lumpy Skin Disease

Hawsar Yasin Abdulqa, Heshu Su

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious, eruptive, occasionally fatal disease of cattle caused by a virus of the family Poxviridae (genus Capripox), which is sometimes also termed as Neethling virus. LSD does not have a high fatality rate, usually less than 10%. LSD has an economical importance because of permanent damage to hides, the prolonged debilitating effect especially in severely 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 10% of infected pregnant cows.