Vol. 12, Issue 4 (2023)

Author(s):
Sanjeeva Kumar M Topan

Abstract:
Lumpy skin disease is an economically important, notifiable, emerging, transboundary animal disease caused by Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) in the family Poxviridae. India reported its first outbreak of LSD during late 2019, since then LSD virus continued to percolate into the susceptible animal population through arthropod vectors causing pockets of outbreaks till 2020-21 with moderate morbidity and negligible mortality. However, from mid-2022, many states have evidenced a steep increase in LSD outbreaks, worst hit being North-western states. The disease rapidly spread to most of the states with in a short period. Pan India outbreaks with high morbidity and alarming mortality negatively impacted animal husbandry activities and challenged control and containment efforts in the initial stages. The limited spread and lower LSD outbreaks observed from 2019 to late 2021 may be because of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns that indirectly restricted animal movements and crowding due to less human activities. However, a steep increase in LSD outbreaks from mid-2022 may be attributable to prolonged moist humid climatic conditions that favored vector population and virus survival in the environment, possibly facilitating effective virus spread among susceptible population.