Lumpy skin disease: a significant threat to Australia

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a severe, vector-borne disease that affects cattle and Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).1 All breeds of cattle are susceptible, but both beef and high milk producing Bos taurus animals are more susceptible than Bos indicus breeds. Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is a highly host-specific member of the genus Capripoxvirus, family Poxviridae, and is closely related to sheeppox and goatpox viruses with at least 96% identity at the genome level.2,3

Keywords

• Australia
• buffalo
• capripoxvirus
• cattle
• emergency animal disease
• lumpy skin disease