Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a pox viral disease of cattle, characterized by fever, multiple firm, circumscribed skin nodules, necrotic plaques in the mucous membranes (chiefly of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity), mastitis, orchitis and swelling of the peripheral lymph nodes. The disease is caused by a capripox virus of which the prototype strain, “Neethling'” was first isolated in South Africa. Clinically, the skin lesions of LSD closely resemble those of pseudo-lumpy skin disease caused by the Allerton strain of bovid herpesvirus 2.

Lumpy skin disease is notifiable to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). Although it does not have a high mortality rate (usually less than ten per cent), it is of economic importance because of permanent damage to hides, the prolonged debilitating effect it may have on severely affected animals with consequent losses resulting from reduced weight gain, temporary or permanent cessation of milk production as a result of mastitis, temporary or permanent infertility in bulls as a consequence of orchitis, and abortion in approximately ten per cent of pregnant cows.

This video provides information on the aetiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, pathology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and control of lumpy skin disease.

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