Clinico-Epidemiological Features of Lumpy Skin Disease Affecting Cattle in Bangladesh

Background and Objective: Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a contagious viral, eruptive and one of the most economically important cattle diseases which are characterized by the appearance of nodules on the skin and other parts of the body.The present study was conducted to evaluate the clinical features along with unveiling a haematological picture and the risk factors associated with LSD affecting cattle in Bangladesh.Materials and Methods: Spatial data on cattle affected by LSD were collected from October through December, 2019.Clinico-epidemiological data from selected an Upazila (a sub-district, lower administrative unit in Bangladesh) of the same district.Blood samples were directly collected from randomly selected animals suffering from LSD and examined for different haematological parameters.Results: Of 72 clinical cases, 32 cattle were found to be affected by LSD.The prevalence of the disease was higher in cattle on smallholdings compared with on organized farms.Among the risk factors, male and indigenous cattle are comparatively less susceptible compared with female and exotic breeds or cross-breed cattle.Fever, skin lumps, lymph node enlargement, salivation and anorexia were more common clinical signs of LSD.Among several complications identified cutaneous oedema (18.7%) was recorded with the highest frequency.Haematological examination revealed that the diseased animals were anaemic and the erythrocyte count (TEC), Hematocrit Value (HCT), Haemoglobin Level (Hb) and RBC Distribution Width (RDW) parameters were below their corresponding normal reference ranges in these animals.Conclusion: The cross-bred cattle were more susceptible to LSD compared with the indigenous cattle and anaemia could be a common finding in bovine animals affected naturally with LSD.