Spain has confirmed its first case of lumpy skin disease. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the disease was found on a cattle farm with 123 animals. Plans to cull the affected animals are underway.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The cattle farm with dairy heifers, located in Girona, a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, was found to have 3 cases of the disease which WOAH confirmed on 3 October. To prevent the spread of the disease, Spanish authorities have stated that culling will take place as part of containment measures. Other control measures include movement restrictions and surveillance zones.
Lumpy skin disease in Europe
In Europe in recent months, France and Italy have also been impacted by the disease. These were the region’s first-ever occurrences of the disease in these countries. The WOAH said that this highlights the urgent need for heightened surveillance and coordinated response.
Also in Europe, in the Netherlands where lumpy skin disease is a relatively unknown animal disease, the country has previously reported in recent weeks that it is dusting off its response plans to prepare for a possible outbreak since the virus emerged in France and Italy.
Spanish and Catalan authorities are currently investigating the matter further.
Symptoms of lumpy skin disease
Lumpy skin disease can occur in cattle, water buffalo, and bison. Initial symptoms include fever, poor appetite, drooling, reduced milk production, eye inflammation, and enlarged lymph nodes. In the second phase, animals develop the painful bumps (about 1-2 cm in diameter) that give the virus its name. Inflammation in the mouth and respiratory tract are also known symptoms, and animals may also develop fluid retention in their legs, mastitis, and lameness. Cows can also abort their calves and become (temporarily) infertile. In an infected herd, up to 50% of the animals can become ill and 10% can die, reports Wageningen Bioveterinary Research.