Prevalence and risk factor analysis of lumpy skin disease in cattle population of Banskhali Upazila, Chattogram, Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: This investigation aimed at assessing the outbreak scenario of the disease in Banskhali Upazila, Chattogram district, Bangladesh. The epidemic was recorded in several areas of Bangladesh, but Banskhali Upazila was rarely mentioned in references. The study evaluated clinical features, and treatment protocol and identified risk factors associated with lumpy skin disease (LSD) in the cattle population of the study area. Materials and Methods: In the four months leading up to December 2020, 53 incidents involving cattle of four different ages and two different breeds were observed in Upazila Veterinary Hospital (UVH), Banskhali, Chattogram. 19 of them had been presumptively diagnosed with LSD based on the owners’ complaints, clinical histories, skin lesions unique to LSD, and associated risk factors. Results: The overall clinical prevalence of LSD was 35.85%, with a mortality rate of 1.88%. Fever and distinctive skin nodules were consistently noted at the highest frequency in affected cattle. Male (39.39%), crossbred (19.35%), and non-vaccinated (40%) cattle showed a significantly higher prevalence of the disease compared to their counterparts. Autohemotherapy, coupled with the administration of the antiviral drug acyclovir, systemic antibiotics such as streptopenicillin (36.84%), and the use of analgesics, anti-inflammatory agents, and antihistamines, were routinely utilized as supportive treatments for the disease. Conclusion: Strict quarantine, vector control, recording of outbreak pattern recording, and prophylactic vaccination may be the best treatments for lowering the disease’s risk factors for the disease. These findings may provide essential groundwork for further investigations to prevent further relapses or outbreaks of LSD in the future.