25/08/2023
Lumpy Skin Disease (L*D) is an economically devastating disease categorised as a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health. India has witnessed unprecedented economic loss due to L*D outbreaks this year.The first outbreak of L*D was reported from Odisha, in August 2019. Subsequently cases were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Assam in 2020.However, not much was learnt and this year the country had to face large scale devastation from this disease. According to government estimates, over 2.4 million animals were infected and over 110,000 cattle died due to this disease in India (BBC, October 19 2022). In this blog, we discuss the possible factors associated with the spread of disease, the roles played by major stakeholders in the management of L*D across several affected states, and the actions that are necessary to address similar crises in the future.
