Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a contagious viral disease that mainly affects cattle, water buffalo and certain wild ruminant animals.
It is spread by insects such as biting flies, mosquitoes and ticks, known as vectors, which feed on skin lesions of infected animals.
Insects that spread infection between animals are most active between April and November in Ireland and are commonly found on farms, the Department of Agriculture has advised.
“The virus may also be spread through the use of contaminated needles or farm equipment. Spread through direct contact with an infected animal is considered unlikely.
“Infected bulls can excrete the virus in semen, however transmission of the virus via infected semen has not been demonstrated,” the Department said.
Symptoms
The main symptom of lumpy skin disease is characteristic lumps or lesions on the body of the animal. There are other symptoms such as:
Fever persisting for up to one week.Reluctance to eat.Lower milk yield.Weight loss.Discharges from the eyes and nose.It is not a zoonotic disease so does not pose a threat to human health, neither by direct contact with an infected animal, or through consumption of animal products from an infected animal.
The principal route by which lumpy skin disease could enter Ireland is the importation of an infected animal from an affected country, the Department of Agriculture has advised.
Other potential routes include importing infected biological products or infected insects carried by wind into the country or on planes or boats.
Outbreak
In the event of an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Ireland, control measures are introduced to eradicate the disease.
“Restriction zones, known as protection (20 km) and surveillance (50 km) zones, are established around the location of an outbreak,” the Department has said.
“Susceptible animals on the affected farm are culled and tracing of any movements of in contact animals and animal products is performed.
“Monitoring and sampling of animals on farms within the restricted zones is carried out as well as restrictions on any activities that could spread the disease to other animals or farms.
“Other countries would place trade restrictions on the export from Ireland of susceptible species and their products,” the Department also added.
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a contagious viral disease that mainly affects cattle, water buffalo and certain wild ruminant animals.
It is spread by insects such as biting flies, mosquitoes and ticks, known as vectors, which feed on skin lesions of infected animals.
Insects that spread infection between animals are most active between April and November in Ireland and are commonly found on farms, the Department of Agriculture has advised.
“The virus may also be spread through the use of contaminated needles or farm equipment. Spread through direct contact with an infected animal is considered unlikely.
“Infected bulls can excrete the virus in semen, however transmission of the virus via infected semen has not been demonstrated,” the Department said.
Symptoms
The main symptom of lumpy skin disease is characteristic lumps or lesions on the body of the animal. There are other symptoms such as:
Fever persisting for up to one week.Reluctance to eat.Lower milk yield.Weight loss.Discharges from the eyes and nose.It is not a zoonotic disease so does not pose a threat to human health, neither by direct contact with an infected animal, or through consumption of animal products from an infected animal.
The principal route by which lumpy skin disease could enter Ireland is the importation of an infected animal from an affected country, the Department of Agriculture has advised.
Other potential routes include importing infected biological products or infected insects carried by wind into the country or on planes or boats.
Outbreak
In the event of an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Ireland, control measures are introduced to eradicate the disease.
“Restriction zones, known as protection (20 km) and surveillance (50 km) zones, are established around the location of an outbreak,” the Department has said.
“Susceptible animals on the affected farm are culled and tracing of any movements of in contact animals and animal products is performed.
“Monitoring and sampling of animals on farms within the restricted zones is carried out as well as restrictions on any activities that could spread the disease to other animals or farms.
“Other countries would place trade restrictions on the export from Ireland of susceptible species and their products,” the Department also added.
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