As of July 24, 2025, Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) was reported in 10 Indian States, with active cases currently limited to Maharashtra.

About Lumpy Virus Disease

• It is an emerging threat to livestock worldwide.
• Causative Agent: Capripoxvirus.
  • It is genetically related to the goatpox and sheeppox virus family.
• Spread: The LSD spreads through blood-sucking vectors like ticks and mites like houseflies, mosquitoes, etc.
• • It also spreads through contaminated water, fodder and feed
• Non-zoonotic disease: It does not spread from animals to humans, and humans cannot get infected with it.
• Signs of infection:  
• • The appearance of circular, firm nodes on the animal’s hide or skin that look similar to lumps.
  • Infected animals immediately start losing weight and may have fever and lesions in the mouth, along with a reduced milk yield. 
  • Excessive nasal and salivary secretion. 
• Pregnant cows and buffaloes often suffer miscarriage and in some cases, diseased animals can die due to it as well.
• It may also  lead to death
• • The virus has caused necrotic vasculitis or death of living tissues in local areas and fibrosis in various organs of infected cattle. 
  • Such a situation leads to failure of various organs, and eventually death.

Initiatives for Prevention of Lumpy Virus Disease

• Aim: Reduce animal disease risk via vaccination, surveillance, and better veterinary infrastructure through Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP).
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
• Budget 2024–25: ₹196.61 crore released under ASCAD for vaccines and control measures
• Vaccination and Technical Support: States/UTs have received financial and technical assistance for vaccination drives. Central Expert Teams offer both on-ground and virtual support
  • Guidelines on vaccination and treatment have been widely circulated for timely implementation.

Permanent Strategy for Prevention and Control of Animal Diseases

• LHDCP : Implements prophylactic vaccinations, strengthens disease surveillance, and upgrades veterinary services across all States/UTs to safeguard livestock health.
• Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD) : Funds are provided to set up and upgrade laboratories and Biological Production Units (BPUs) for disease diagnosis, vaccine production, training, and awareness on biosecurity and good husbandry practices.
• Disease-Specific Action Plans: National Action Plans (NAPs) include identification of affected zones, isolation protocols, and strict biosecurity measures to curb the spread of infections.
• National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES) Alerts: Early warnings on 15 livestock diseases are issued via the NADRES platform in local languages.

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