Epidemiology of Lumpy Skin Disease in Egypt between 2006 and 2018

• Published in: Journal of applied veterinary sciences Vol. 8; no. 1; pp. 90 - 96
• Main Authors: Azza M. Ezzeldin, Ehsan Y. Bashandy, Zakia A. M. Ahmed, Tamer F. Ismail
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Egyptian Society for Animal Management 01-01-2023
• Subjects: egypt; lumpy skin disease (lsd); prevalence; risk factors; temporal
• ISSN: 1687-4072; 2090-3308
• DOI: 10.21608/JAVS.2022.174716.1192

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a notifiable vector-borne disease transmitted by blood-feeding insects affecting cattle populations. LSD is a severe disease that is leading to economic losses. In this study, we displayed the prevalence of LSD in Egypt through retrospective and survey studies to point out the possible hazards of this serious disease. The 2006–2018 passive surveillance data were obtained from OIE-Wahis. A survey was conducted on 326 cattle, collected from 40 villages in 2017, using a structured questionnaire. Between 2006 and 2018, a total of 577 positive LSD outbreaks were reported. For spatial distribution, the Delta region showed the highest significant prevalence of 88% in the 2006 outbreak. Afterwards, Upper Egypt recorded the highest LSD prevalence between 2014 and 2018. The temporal distribution showed an alternative seasonal prevalence of LSD. In the cross-sectional study, the Delta had the highest prevalence, followed by Upper Egypt. Between the seasons, autumn had the highest prevalence followed by winter. Animals over the age of two years had the highest prevalence of risk factors. Dairy animals had a high significant prevalence. Housing animals in the open, the presence of farms near markets and repeated visits to markets, all had a high prevalence. The abundance of biting-flies significantly increased the prevalence. Almost all of the farmers were significantly unaware of the disease. The absence of periodic cleaning, animal isolation, and proper carcass disposal, all significantly increased LSD prevalence especially in unvaccinated animals. In conclusion, the retrospective and cross-sectional studies showed that LSD is an endemic disease with both spatial and temporal distributions. In addition, the survey pointed out the husbandry and biosecurity breaches that magnify LSD prevalence. Therefore, raising disease awareness and applying strategic prevention and control measures are the practical pillars against LSD.