- Why in news
- On 8 September 2026 the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said it is strengthening surveillance, vaccination and control of Lumpy Skin Disease after sporadic cases since July 2026, mainly in northern States.
- What it is
- Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral disease of cattle and buffaloes caused by the Capripox virus. It spreads mainly through arthropod vectors and causes fever and skin nodules. In India it first appeared in 2019 and later spread widely, so control relies on vaccination, movement control and vector control.
- Cause and spread
- LSD is caused by the Capripox virus and spreads mainly through arthropod vectors. It affects cattle and buffaloes.
- First reported in India
- The first reports in India came from West Bengal and Odisha in September 2019.
- Vaccination so far
- More than 36.18 crore cattle have been vaccinated or re-vaccinated against LSD.
- Diagnostic support
- ICAR-NIHSAD, Bhopal, supports testing, along with a network of RDDLs and the CDDL.
- Current situation
- There are 3,461 active cases, mainly in young, unvaccinated animals and those with co-morbidities.
- Control measures advised
- States were advised to vaccinate heifers and young cattle, use ring vaccination, control movement, isolate sick animals, control vectors and quarantine new animals.
Don’t confuse with LSD vs Foot-and-Mouth Disease: LSD is caused by a Capripox virus and spreads mainly through vectors. FMD is caused by a different virus (an Aphthovirus) and is a separate livestock disease.
Why it matters
- Livestock is a major source of rural income and nutrition, so controlling LSD protects dairy output and farmer livelihoods.
Problems
- Vector-borne spread and cattle movement make containment hard.
- Stray animals and under-reporting weaken surveillance.
Way forward
- Continue vaccination of young animals and keep the veterinary laboratory network strong.
- Ensure timely, transparent reporting and better vector control.
Put in your answer
Vaccination coverage: Over 36.18 crore cattle vaccinated or re-vaccinated against LSD, showing the scale of the response.
Central support to States: The Centre has given financial help for vaccination, training, awareness and veterinary laboratory strengthening.
- 2022Mains GS3 · Q16Basic principle of vaccine development and how vaccines work
- 2002Prelims Q118Causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease in animals
- 2017Prelims Q31Zika transmission by mosquito; possibility of sexual transmission
- 2023Prelims Q67What the Wolbachia method is used for: controlling mosquito-borne viral diseases
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting animal-disease topic with vaccination and control measures; UPSC has rarely asked such disease updates in news-linked Prelims.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.