Lumpy dermatitis: symptoms and diagnosis, treatment of cattle and prevention

Among cattle diseases, infectious diseases are not the last. Diseases spread among livestock, weaken animals, cause various disorders in the body. Sick animals become less productive, which causes economic damage to the economy. Consider the causes and symptoms of lumpy skin disease, methods of diagnosis and treatment, preventive measures.

Historical digression

Lumpy dermatitis comes from Central Africa, in addition to African countries, until recently it was also registered in Madagascar, India, the Middle East.Since the 2000s, the disease has appeared in Asian countries, since 2014 - in Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, since 2015 - in Russia, Armenia, Cyprus, Greece, since 2016 - in Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kazakhstan.

Causes of infection

Lumpy dermatitis is an infectious disease of cattle of viral origin. The pathogen, the Neethling virus, is similar to smallpox viruses. Sources of the pathogen are considered to be sick individuals and carriers of the virus. The pathogen is contained in pieces of affected skin, in saliva, blood, semen, milk, secretions from the eyes and nose. In addition to these routes of infection, the virus can be transmitted with the bites of blood-sucking insects. The virus can be present on feed, transmitted with water, with transport. Adult animals become infected during contact, calves through milk.

Lumpy dermatitis has a seasonal manifestation (during a humid hot period), cases of the disease are observed in areas with wet wetlands. The infection spreads quickly, the incidence rate is 5-45% of the total number of animals in the herd.Mortality from dermatitis varies between 1-5%, up to 90% of individuals can recover naturally.

The disease causes significant damage to livestock farms, as the meat and milk productivity of cows decreases, the reproduction process is disrupted, skins are discarded. A complication of dermatitis can be sterility of bulls, temporary or permanent, as well as the death of animals from other infections that have developed against the background of lumpy dermatitis, abortions in cows.

Symptoms and signs of disease

The incubation period of lumpy skin disease is 3-30 days. During this time, no symptoms are observed. Then fever, swelling of the subcutaneous tissues appear, nodes form on the skin, lesions affect the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and respiratory tract, eyes.

The acute form of the disease in cows is characterized by fever, loss of appetite, discharge from the eyes, watery eyes.

The next day, on the head, neck, chest, udder, groin and abdomen, nodules of a dense structure are formed, reaching a size of 0.5-7 cm. Then a depression forms in the center of the nodules due to the separation of the epidermis, tissue begin to become necrotic. Over time, affected tissues fall off.

With severe development of the disease in cows, prolonged fever, loss of appetite, animals lose weight, rounded erosive lesions and necrotic areas of grayish-yellow color appear on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and digestive organs. Calves may have an atypical form of the disease, with no characteristic signs of damage. Cows that have had lumpy skin disease are immune from the disease for life.

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, epizootological data, clinical examination of sick individuals, laboratory tests, and pathological changes in tissues are required. For analysis, samples are taken from skin areas affected by dermatitis, bronchi, lymph nodes, swabs from the oropharynx, conjunctiva, sperm, milk, blood. The PCR method is used for the study.

How to treat lumpy skin disease in cattle

Specific treatment of lumpy skin disease in cattle has not been developed, symptomatic therapy is used. Cows are provided with the right conditions of keeping, care, and are fed with complete feed. With proper care, in 90% of cases, cows recover on their own.

Folk remedies

From traditional medicine, nettle tincture is used to treat skin lesions. It is easy to make: you need to put fresh chopped nettles in a jar, pour vodka and leave to infuse for 3 weeks.Use the resulting product to disinfect nodules and make compresses.

In addition to nettle tincture, you can prepare calendula tincture: pour flowers with alcohol, leave to infuse for a month. Apply in the same way as the previous one, for work you need to take a solution of 1 tsp. tinctures for 1 tbsp. water.

Medicated

Affected areas are treated with disinfectants. To rule out infection with other pathogens, cows are given antibiotics as well as drugs to support the immune system.

Proper nutrition

Cows suffering from dermatitis should be fed in such a way that the animals do not experience a lack of nutrients. Good nutrition plays an important role in maintaining immunity, helping cows recover faster. In summer, animals are fed with fresh grass, if they graze freely, the sick should not come into contact with he althy ones.When kept in a stall, sick individuals should be kept separate from non-infected ones. In addition to grass or hay, cows should receive top dressing in the form of concentrates, vegetables, root crops, silage. These products contain vitamins and minerals necessary for recovery.

Quarantine

When cases of lumpy dermatitis are detected in the farm, quarantine is established in it. Rules: it is forbidden to mix sick individuals with he althy ones in the general herd; The sale of products is prohibited. The remains of feed and the removed litter must be disposed of, and disinfection of all premises must be carried out. Milk should be pasteurized or boiled.

The quarantine is lifted a month after the last animal has recovered, but cows cannot be exported and sold during the year. Meat and milk can be sold after the quarantine is lifted.

What is the danger of a disease for an animal

In sick individuals, weight decreases as they lose weight, in lactating cows, milk production decreases, which affects milk yield. Mastitis may develop. Marked, albeit rarely, aggressiveness, nervous disorders. Pregnant females may have abortions.

Problem Prevention

The implementation of prevention work must be taken with all responsibility, as the infection can spread quickly. In order not to waste time on treatment, not to lose money, you need to try to prevent the disease with sanitary measures and vaccination.

First of all, when buying cows, you need to choose them from farms where dermatitis has not been registered. Put them in quarantine and only then send them to the herd.Treat cows from insect attacks with insect repellents. Examine the skin of animals so as not to miss the first signs of the disease.

Vaccination helps to avoid infection. Vaccinations begin to be given to 3-month-old calves, repeated after a year. In disadvantaged regions, adult animals are also subject to vaccination if they have not been vaccinated before.

Danger to humans

For humans, lumpy skin disease virus is not dangerous, only cows and small ruminants get sick with it. You can work with sick animals without fear of infection. But you can not use fresh milk. After boiling, it becomes usable. In large farms, it is often fed to calves.

Lumpy dermatitis is a new disease that has already appeared on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries.

For cows, it is not fatal, but leads to economic damage in the form of loss of livestock mass, reduced milk yield, abortion, reduced quality of milk and skins. Although there is no cure for this disease, with proper care and supportive care, animals recover.

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