Triple whammy of lumpy skin disease

The spread of lumpy skin diseases in cattle has hit farmers across the country. They are facing a triple whammy as the dairy production has decreased, fields remain unploughed and paddy transplantation has not taken place due to widespread infection. 

Lumpy skin disease is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus, which belongs to the genus capripoxvirus, a part of the poxviridae family (smallpox and monkeypox viruses are also part of the same family). It is a contagious vector-borne disease spread by mosquitoes, flies, and ticks.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), infected animals shed the virus through oral and nasal secretions which may contaminate common feeding and water troughs. Thus, the disease can either spread through direct contact with the vectors or through contaminated fodder and water.

The incubation period or the time between infection and symptoms is about 28 days, per the FAO. Per some other estimates, the incubation period is 4 to 14 days. 

Some of the symptoms of the disease are nasal and ocular discharge, discharge of mucopurulent (containing mucus and pus) with progression of the disease, fever, swelling of joints, swollen superficial lymph nodes, sharp reduction in milk production and formation of skin nodules all over the body. Damaged skin and hides, fertility problems and death are some of the impacts of the disease along with increased treatment costs.

Morbidity rate of the infection is usually 5–45 percent and mortality rate is usually less than 10 percent, according to the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

Many farmers have complained that the government has not taken effective measures to control the disease.

“I have just returned after burying an ox from one of my relatives because one of my oxen is sick and struggling for life. There is no vaccine at the municipal veterinary,” says Surya Thapa Magar, a farmer from Aiselukharka, Khotang. 

It is a distressing situation for farmers like Magar. At Aiselukharka, there is no household where the cattle infection has not spread. In fact, the disease has reached all 77 districts of the country, infecting around 555,000 and killing at least 21,000 cattle so far, according to the Animal Service Department.

The infection is particularly high in mid-hill and hill regions of Karnali, Lumbini and Koshi provinces. 

The spread of the disease can lead to substantial and severe economic losses, particularly in the dairy industry. The disease leads to reduced milk production as animals become weak as they lose appetite due to mouth ulceration. 

The annual total milk production in Nepal is 2,301,000 metric tonnes. About 40 percent of milk production is contributed by cows and the remaining 60 percent by buffalo. There are about more than 500,000 dairy farmers and 1,700 dairy cooperatives involved in the dairy sector in the country.

A risk assessment study conducted by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) based on information available from 2019 to October 2020 revealed that the economic impact of the disease for South, East and Southeast Asian countries “was estimated to be up to $1.45bn in direct losses of livestock and production”.

According to Nepal Veterinary Council, the mortality rate of the infections in animals is 3.8 percent and there is a loss of Rs 49,135 per animal in the country. Animal deaths resulting from this disease have already caused a loss of NRs 27.22bn.

In the absence of timely treatment, the disease could spread in over 2.5m animals, resulting in the death of 100,000 cows and buffalos, causing a total loss of Rs 1.26trn, per the council. There are over 7.4m cows and more than 5m buffalos in the country.

“It’s a huge economic loss for us. We haven’t been able to plough the field as tractor costs Rs 2,000 per hour, which we cannot afford. On top of that, the production of milk has also decreased,” says Chiranjibi Poudel, a farmer from Halesi, Khotang. 

While the government has expressed its commitment to providing all resources required for the prevention and control of the disease, many farmers say the help has not arrived. In Baitadi district, for instance, vaccines are not available so far. Farmers say they feel helpless watching their cattle die a slow, painful death. 

“The cases of lumpy skin infection are increasing by the day but the district lacks vaccines. We have written to the federal and provincial governments requesting vaccines,” Dr Bishal Pathak, livestock development officer at the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Center. 

Officials, however, claim that the government has imported 737,000 doses of vaccine and supplied them to all seven provinces. The government has allowed importers to import Neethling strains vaccine, which can be administered to pregnant cows and buffaloes. 

Veterinarians say as the disease can easily transmit from one animal to the other, the infected animal should be kept separate from healthy animals. They suggest vector population control, hygienic measures in the farms, awareness campaigns and vaccination as preventive and control measures.

The vaccines are not produced in Nepal; they are imported. The government has allowed importers to import Neethling strains vaccine. The vaccine can also be administered to pregnant cows and buffaloes. The calves born will be resistant to the virus for three months. 

The infected animals should not be administered vaccines. They should only be given vaccines a year after they have been infected with the disease. As the anti-virus resistance is formed in the cattle it is not necessary to vaccinate them immediately after their recovery.

The farmers demand the vaccines be made easily available to prevent infection spread in the healthy cattle. 

It is safe to consume milk from cattle infected by Lumpy Skin Disease, as it is a non-zoonotic disease. 

FAO says that a large portion of the milk in Asia is processed after collection and is either pasteurized or boiled or dried in order to make powdered milk. It ensures that the virus is inactivated or destroyed.

“It is safe to consume milk from the infected cattle but it will be beneficial to drink milk after boiling. However, if the cattle is given antibiotics then the milk should not be consumed from the day when the antibiotic was started and after a week from the day when the antibiotic was stopped in the animal,” the Department of Livestock Services said. 

Symptoms

• Nasal and ocular discharge
• Discharge of mucus and pus with progression of the disease
• Fever
• Swollen joints and superficial lymph nodes
• Sharp reduction in milk production
• Formation of skin nodules all over the body