Lumpy skin disease detected in cow calf in Shuklaphanta

Kanchanpur: Lumpy skin disease has been confirmed in a cow calf raised by local farmers in Sisaiya, Shuklaphanta Municipality-9, Kanchanpur.

After symptoms of the disease appeared, a team led by senior veterinarian Naresh Prasad Joshi from the Animal Disease Research Laboratory, Dhangadhi, collected samples and sent them to the Central Animal Disease Research Laboratory for testing. According to Joshi, the samples tested positive for lumpy skin disease using the PCR method.

Joshi explained that the disease was first reported in Sudurpaschim Province only two years ago, and this is the first time it has reappeared since then. While the infection has been confirmed in the calf of a single cow, no symptoms have been detected in other cattle or buffaloes nearby.

"Investigations are underway to trace the source of the disease," Joshi said. "This resurgence marks the first case in Sudurpaschim since the wave seen at the end of the last fiscal year. In 2080 BS, nearly 1.3 million animals were infected across the country, resulting in about 50,000 deaths."

He warned that the risk of a wider outbreak remains high due to minimal vaccination coverage in the province and the ongoing rainy season. Although vaccination is the most effective preventive measure, the province currently lacks vaccine stock, raising concerns that the disease could spread severely, similar to the outbreak of 2080 BS.

Joshi emphasized the need for immediate isolation of infected animals, maintaining cleanliness around sheds, controlling vectors such as insects and mosquitoes, and exercising caution when handling infected animals or entering sheds.

Symptoms of lumpy skin disease include the appearance of lumps (large nodules) across the body, blisters around the eyes, nose, and mouth, high fever of 104°F or more, and sores of 10-50 mm on various parts of the body such as the neck, back, abdomen, and udder. Other symptoms include reduced milk production of up to 80 percent, diarrhea, nasal discharge, excessive salivation, and swollen lymph nodes.

According to Ram Prasad Bhatta, head of the livestock development branch of Shuklaphanta Municipality, the disease was last reported in cows raised in Ward No. 12, Kalagoudi, four years ago. Now, it has reappeared in Ward No. 9, Sisaiya. "We have warned farmers not to mix infected cows with healthy animals," he said. "We have also advised isolation of infected cows and conducted awareness campaigns among farmers."