<h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">Lumpy Skin Disease&nbsp;</strong></h1><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h3><strong>Context&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">The Centre is foreseeing a <strong>“stagnation” in milk production and a possible scarcity of ghee and butter</strong> as an impact of the lumpy skin disease (LSD) that took the lives of about 1.89 lakh cattle recently.</li></ul><h3><strong>About:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">It is caused by infection of cattle or buffalo with the <strong>poxvirus Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV).</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">The virus is one of three closely related species within the genus capripoxvirus, the other two species being <strong>Sheeppox virus and Goatpox virus.</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Symptoms:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">It appears as nodules of two to five-centimeter diameter all over the<strong> body, particularly around the head, neck, limbs, udder and genitals.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">The lumps gradually open up like large and deep wounds.</li></ul><h3><strong>Transmission:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">The LSD virus easily spreads by <strong>blood-sucking insects like mosquitoes, flies and ticks and through saliva and contaminated water and food.</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Spread:&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Historically, LSD has remained confined to <strong>Africa</strong>, where it was first discovered in 1929, and parts of West Asia.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">LSD was first reported in <strong>Asia and the Pacific region</strong> in 2019 in north west China, Bangladesh and India.&nbsp;</li><li class="ql-indent-1">It is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes and flies among cattle through contaminated food and water</li></ul><h3><strong>Treatment:&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Vaccination against these diseases is covered under the<strong> Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme of India.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">There are no specific antiviral drugs available for the treatment of lumpy skin disease. The only treatment available is supportive care of cattle. This can include treatment of skin lesions using wound care sprays and the use of antibiotics to prevent secondary skin infections and pneumonia.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Anti-inflammatory painkillers can be used to keep up the appetite of affected animals.</li></ul><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong>PRELIMS NOTES:</strong><a href="https://www.sunyaias.com/subscription-details/prelims-2023-sunya-notes-current-affairs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);"><strong>CLICK HERE</strong></a></h1>