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Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a viral disease of cattle and buffalo spread mainly by biting flies, mosquitoes and ticks. It causes fever and firm skin nodules all over the body and can sharply reduce milk yield, appetite and fertility. There is no specific antiviral cure — control depends on vaccination, vector control and good supportive care, so contact your veterinarian as soon as you suspect it.
LSD is caused by the lumpy skin disease virus, a capripoxvirus related to the goat pox and sheep pox viruses. It affects cattle and buffalo of all ages and is a production disease rather than a food-safety risk. India saw large outbreaks from 2022 onward that affected lakhs of animals across states such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab and Karnataka, causing heavy losses in milk yield and draught power.
The virus is transmitted mainly mechanically by blood-feeding insects — mosquitoes, biting (stable) flies and ticks. It can also spread through direct contact, shared feed and water troughs, contaminated equipment and shared needles, and through the movement of infected animals. Outbreaks usually flare up in warm, humid, high-vector seasons such as the monsoon and post-monsoon period.
There is no specific medicine that kills the virus. Veterinary treatment is supportive: it aims to keep the animal eating, prevent secondary bacterial infection of the skin wounds, and control pain and fever. Your veterinarian may use antibiotics for secondary infection, anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing drugs, antiseptic wound dressing, and fluids for weak animals.
Alongside veterinary care, keeping appetite and liver function up helps animals recover faster. Herbal appetite and liver support such as Heprich liver tonic and Grazup may be used as supportive feed supplements to encourage feed intake and recovery — always in addition to, not instead of, veterinary treatment. For help choosing a liver support product, see our guide to the best liver tonic for cattle in India.
Prevention is far more effective than treatment, and rests on two pillars.
Vaccination is the single most effective tool. India used the heterologous goat pox vaccine widely during outbreaks, and an indigenous LSD vaccine, Lumpi-ProVacInd — developed by ICAR institutes and approved for commercial production in 2024 — is now available. Vaccinate through your veterinarian or State Animal Husbandry department, ideally before the fly season begins.
No. LSD is not known to infect humans and is not a food-safety threat. However, it causes serious losses in cattle and buffalo, so it must be controlled at the herd level.
Most animals recover over several weeks with good supportive care, though skin nodules can leave scars and milk yield may take time to return. Weak, young or heavily infected animals are at higher risk, so early veterinary care matters.
Vaccinate as advised by your vet, control flies and ticks, isolate sick animals, disinfect equipment, and keep appetite and immunity strong with good feed and supportive supplements. Report suspected cases to your local veterinary authority.
This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. Cattle Remedies is a brand of Makams Industries Pvt. Ltd. Authoritative references: WOAH — Lumpy Skin Disease; NCBI/PMC — LSD outbreak analysis, India.
