Australia takes cautionary measures against lumpy skin disease

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a cause for concern for Australian livestock farmers, says the University of Queensland. Australian officials have been put on high alert following the spread of the disease across Southeast Asia even though there have been no reported cases in Australia.

At the end of last year, South Korea together with a few other smaller livestock farming countries, reported cases of the disease, and in July last year, a few countries put a halt to importing Australian cattle due to the discovery of cattle with LSD symptoms that had been imported from Australia. Despite this, the country remains an LSD-free zone.

The university said it had developed a model that would assist officials and farmers in terms of dealing with a possible outbreak. The study, published by

The Conversation, said Australia had a veterinary emergency response plan for quick action if the disease entered the country.

“The government has also boosted surveillance and begun offering training for vets, industry and government staff on how to prevent and control the spread of the disease,” said Ben Hayes, director for the Centre of Animal Science at the University of Queensland.

“However, innovative models are needed to assess the likely introduction and spread of the disease in Australia. Our model will include data describing the current status of reports of the disease outside of

Australia, Australia’s landscape and climate, distribution and movement of cattle, and local insect populations,” he said.

The models would produce maps that can identify areas in the country that were susceptible to the disease.

They would also inform decisions around surveillance and response plans, and help farmers prepare for a potential outbreak of the disease.

“Maintaining a high level of preparedness

[is paramount for farmers].” –

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS A cow infected with lumpy skin disease.