| Information sheets | | | Elsenburg infopaks | | | Animals, diseases: 12 |
Lumpy skin disease
Afrikaans | Xhosa
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Lumpy skin disease is a virus disease in cattle that is characterised by fever, multiple firm, well-defined nodules in the skin, lesions left by erosion on the teats, nose, mouth and pharynx, enlarged lymph nodes and swelling of one of more legs. |
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Lumpy skin disease has a low mortality, but because of the prolonged detrimental effect on the body of the animal, it is of large economic importance. This in turn leads to significant losses in production as a result of
emaciation, temporary or permanent loss of milk production, infertility in bulls as well as cows, abortions and permanent damage to the skins.
Transfer It has not yet been established by what method the disease is transferred, but circumstantial evidence indicates that biting insects play an important role, because the disease occurs more often in the wet summer and autumn months. Another indication that insects could play a role is the inability of isolation and quarantine to prevent spreading of the disease. Although direct animal-to-animal transfer of the disease is ineffective, transfer could occur when sick and healthy animals use the same watering troughs. Suckling calves can get the disease from drinking contaminated milk. On the other hand, a calf can be protected up to the age of 6 months if it gets enough colostrum from a cow that has been vaccinated. |
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Symptoms
Some animals in a herd seem to have a natural resistance, because only 40 - 50% of animals show lesions in experimental contagion. After an incubation period of 2 - 4 weeks the animals develop a fever that could last from 4 - 14 days, accompanied by loss of appetite, hypersalivation and excessive secretion from the nose. |
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The typical nodules of the skin start to appear about 4 - 10 days after the onset of the fever reaction and could vary from 5 - 50mm in diameter, and from a few to hundreds in number. |
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The nodules are swollen, round, well-defined and firm. They could harden rapidly to hard nodules that could persist for a year or longer, or they could fall off and leave deep erosions. In most instances of common skin lesions the legs are also swollen and the skin could die off and peel. This then leaves open, festering sores on the legs. |
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Mastitis could also occur as a result, with heavy losses because of permanent
(6) damage to the tissue of the udder.
Diagnosis A preliminary diagnosis on the basis of the symptoms could be confirmed by an electron microscopic demonstration of the virus in the nodules. This method confirms a diagnosis within 24-48 hours. Control Because biting insects most probably play a role in the transfer, cattle could be sprayed with insecticides during the risk period. A better method is however preventative immunising by means of vaccination. Calves of mothers that have not been vaccinated or cows that have never been exposed to the disease, could be vaccinated at any age. Calves of cows that have been vaccinated, should only be vaccinated after 6 months of age. After that vaccination should be done annually. |
DH de Lange
ELSENBURG / GEORGE Veterinary Services
