Epidemiology, diagnosis and control of lumpy skin disease in Egyptian ruminants

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is one of the most important diseases causing great economic losses in live animals stock industry of affected countries. It is an infectious vector borne viral illness considered one of major trans-boundary animal diseases affecting cattle and Asian domestic buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). The aim of the current review is to clarify the current status of LSD epidemiology and to throw light on the methods of LSD diagnosis, prevention, treatment and control. LSD is rarely fatal, characterised by nodules on the entire skin of the affected animals, and has a high morbidity rate. The disease has severe direct adverse effects on cattle production, milk yields and animal body condition from damage of hides, abortions, infertility and other indirect effects resulted from restriction of animal movements and trade. The first recorded outbreak was in Zambia in 1929. It is considered an endemic disease in African continent. First report of LSD in Egypt was in Suez Canal governorate in 1988. Diagnosis of LSD virus depends on the highly characteristic clinical signs in severely infected cases. In mild cases the diagnosis depends on the detection and isolation of the virus on different cell lines and on chorio-allantoic membranes of embryonated chicken eggs. Viral nucleic acid detection by molecular techniques as real time PCR is considered the test of priority because it is rapid, sensitive and quantitative. Prevention of the disease depends mainly on vaccination programmes for the entire cattle and buffalo populations, restriction of animals’ movement inside the country and through country borders, controlling insect vectors, in addition to symptomatic treatment of infected animals.