Published on 7 July 2025

Lumpy Skin Disease

© FLI

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), which affects cattle, including buffalo and bison, is mainly transmitted by fly and mosquito bites.

© FLI

On 22 June 2025, Lumpy Skin Disease was detected for the first time on several cattle farms in Italy. The first case was confirmed in France on 29 June, on a cattle farm in the Savoie department. Lumpy Skin Disease is a highly contagious epizootic disease (Epizootic Diseases Ordinance EzDO).

• Better understanding the transmission of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV)

  Transmission of the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is predominantly mechanical by blood-feeding arthropods, including biting flies (e.g. Stomoxys calcitrans) and mosquitoes. Transmission between cattle by ticks has also been demonstrated experimentally, but is thought to be less important for local spread. Whether lapping, non-blood-feeding insects such as the common housefly (Musca domestica) can also transmit LSDV is still unclear. However, the risk of transmission is much lower than with blood-feeding insects.
  
  Direct transmission, especially from animals with typical LSDV skin lesions in which the skin crusts contain high concentrations of the virus, cannot be ruled out either. However, this risk can be mitigated by close clinical monitoring of the animals. In rare cases, the virus can also be transmitted indirectly via materials contaminated with virus-containing saliva / skin crusts, such as feed, water, instruments or even by people (if biosafety measures are inadequate).
  
  The LSDV itself is quite stable and viruses are generally very resistant to cold; they are still infectious even after freezing.
  
  Moving infected cattle is generally the greatest risk of introducing LSDV over long distances into new areas.

• Differences between lumpy skin disease and vector-borne diseases such as bluetongue

  LSDV is a vector-borne disease that does not infect insects but is mechanically transmitted by them. It can remain attached to the insects' stinging apparatus for days and continue to be infectious. This means that several different insect species can transmit LSDV, but they usually only remain infectious for 1 to 2 weeks.
  
  As the insect population is at its highest in summer and autumn, these are the seasons when LSDV is most widespread, at least in our climatic regions; LSDV infection decreases in colder months. However, LSDV can be transmitted mechanically by several insect species. So, transmission is also possible in winter, for example in stables where biting flies are still present.
  
  Although LSDV is mainly transmitted by blood-feeding insects, the transmission route is different from that of the bluetongue virus (BTV). BTV infects its insect hosts and the virus also replicates in the insect. These infections and replications are host-specific; BTV is mainly transmitted by certain species of midges (Culicoides). Once these midges are infected with BTV and the virus reaches the salivary gland, they remain infectious for the rest of their lives and can pass on BTV with each blood meal.
  
  In the case of vector-borne viruses, a distinction is therefore made between ‘mechanical’ transmission, as with LSDV, and ‘biological’ transmission, as with BTV. This difference in transmission by vectors must be taken into account in the prevention and control measures.

The national reference laboratory for lumpy skin disease in Switzerland is the Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI). The high-security laboratory is located in Mittelhäusern (Bern). The necessary laboratory tests for suspected cases of LSDV or exclusion tests are carried out at the laboratory. The IVI also has an advisory role on LSDV for the FSVO and other federal offices, cantonal authorities and the veterinary profession.

Diagnostic - Sample material:
Viral genome detection (qPCR)
- Live animal: biopsy of skin/mucous membrane lesions, EDTA blood, nasal swab, oral swab, (serum)
- Dead animal: biopsy of skin/mucous membrane lesions; nasal swab, lymph node lesions (cervical/ mediastinal), lungs (especially if organ lesions are present), EDTA blood if possible Antibody detection (ELISA)
- Serum

More information

• Lumpy Skin Disease (Dermatitis nodularis) FSVO (German)
• Media release FSVO (German)
• Media release Mesures de prévention de l’introduction de la dermatose nodulaire contagieuse dans la population de bovidés à Genève Canton of Geneva (French)
• Media release Lumpy-Skin-Krankheit - Obligatorische Impfung von über 2'000 Rindern im Kanton Wallis Canton of Valais (German)