Four years later, the rapidly infectious Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is once again looming over India’s cattle population. Since July 2026, many cases have been reported in different parts of India. As reported, there are 180 suspected cases across six districts of Uttarakhand, while 48 cattle have been infected in Himachal Pradesh, with four animals dying in Hamirpur and Solan districts of the state. Haryana has reported 1,356 affected cases in Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Rewari and Yamuna Nagar. Punjab has reported 216 infected animals from pockets of Pathankot, Mohali and Patiala.
Jammu and Kashmir has also reported several such cases lately. Delhi has reported 584 possible instances. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have recorded significant numbers of such reported incidents. Various reports indicate that there are 10,403 cases in Rajasthan, of which 6,905 animals have recovered. In Uttar Pradesh, 9,003 animals were reportedly affected by Lumpy Skin Disease in villages in Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur.
Lumpy Skin Disease Returns as India Watches for a Fresh Cattle Outbreak
In 2022, this very cutaneous animal disease cast its deadly shadow over the fate of innumerable livestock farmers. Almost 2.4–2.9 million cattle were infected that year, and around 110,000–155,000 animals died from the disease. At that time, Haryana reported 31,000 cases, with 3,000 deaths. In Punjab, 18,000 cattle perished. Along with these two states, Rajasthan and Gujarat were among the worst-affected states.
Of late, the ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology & Disease Informatics published the Livestock Disease Risk Forewarning Bulletin in July 2026 through its National Animal Disease Referral Expert System. This monthly bulletin predicts animal disease outbreaks across the country. It warned of the possibility of LSD spreading across 219 districts in 28 states and Union Territories, indicating a possible risk of outbreaks. The bulletin published in August provides predictions for October, while the September bulletin provides predictions for November.
It indicated the possibility of 1,388 disease-risk events across India for September, with Jharkhand recording the highest number at 216, followed by West Bengal with 91. Most importantly, there were 220 possible LSD outbreak events across India, with West Bengal receiving warnings for the districts of Bankura, Kalimpong, Birbhum, Kolkata, Darjeeling, Malda, Hooghly and Paschim Medinipur. For October and November, there are possibilities of 1,234 and 1,404 disease-risk events across India, respectively. Jharkhand is at the highest risk of outbreaks of various animal diseases, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Manipur, Kerala and others during these two months as well.
There have already been several reported episodes of LSD across the country. The publication of this anticipatory warning makes it imperative for the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Government of India, to take proactive steps to strengthen the prevention, surveillance and control of the disease in the country. When the whole country was vigilant to fight the losses caused by the LSD outbreak in 2022, West Bengal reported zero animal deaths.
This year, too, no such outbreak has been reported in the state. But risks remain, as neighbouring states such as Jharkhand and Assam are at high risk because of the highly contagious nature of the disease. Speaking to Pritam Bala, owner of Santosh Dairy Farm in North 24 Parganas, he informed us that two years ago, one cow and a calf were infected with LSD. He added that he was able to save the calf, but the cow died. Now, he is very much alert and has 37 cows on his farm.
Another livestock farmer, Bibhas Munshi from Tehatta, Nadia, says that he has seven cows and that one of them contracted LSD one month ago. He managed to provide proper care and protection to help the cattle recover.
LSD Risk Rises Across States as Scientists Warn of New Disease Spread
Lumpy Skin Disease is caused by a virus known as the LSD virus, which belongs to the family Poxviridae and the genus Capripoxvirus. It is highly transmissible. The disease is transmitted primarily by biting flies, mosquitoes and ticks. Direct contact with an infected animal plays a minor role in transmission. The movement and trade of infected livestock are considered major routes of infection. The disease specifically affects cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indicus), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and some wild ruminants.
Within 48 hours of the onset of high fever, which can reach almost 104°F, and between 7 and 19 days after infection with the virus, affected animals develop cutaneous nodules on the head, neck, udder, scrotum, vulva and perineum. These nodules can grow rapidly and may contain pus, contributing to the spread of infection.
This disease has significant impacts on livestock health and welfare. Though it is not a zoonotic disease and poses no threat to human beings, it causes financial losses to livestock farmers. It can trigger a temporary reduction in milk production, affect fertility, damage hides and, occasionally, result in the permanent loss of cattle.
The virus originated in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 2000, it has been reported in the Middle East, the Balkans, Bangladesh, China and Europe. More recently, in 2025, Italy and France reported their first-ever incidents of the disease. The disease has not been reported in the Western Hemisphere or in Australia and New Zealand. However, very recently, there has been a report of such cases from Australia.
In India, LSD was reported for the first time in West Bengal and Odisha in September 2019. It became particularly dangerous in 2022, emerging as a transboundary pathogen that caused severe economic losses to cattle farmers. A research paper published in Frontiers on 3 June 2026 discusses the screening, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the present LSD virus. It demonstrates the circulation of a genetically stable yet evolving LSD virus lineage in India. Due to its relative stability, the morbidity rate is 10–20%, while the mortality rate is usually low, at 1–5%.
Vaccination, Surveillance and Vector Control Key to Preventing LSD
As it is a viral disease, there is no specific treatment to cure it. Regular molecular surveillance is essential to understand the evolution and spread of circulating viral lineages in the country. Dr Mamun Rashid Biswas, Veterinary Officer, Kusthalia, Gangajalghati, Bankura, asserts that there is a vaccination drive in West Bengal during May and June. He also says that the goat pox vaccine is being used for the primary prevention of the disease. It is a cross-protective heterologous vaccine. There has also been a recent development of an LSD-specific homologous vaccine to address the disease. The DAHD is currently conducting a vaccination programme across the country to fight the outbreak. As per PIB reports, 36.18 crore animals have already been vaccinated so far.
Given the transboundary nature of the disease, cross-border collaboration is essential for its control and prevention. Dr Kaushik Pal, Subject Matter Specialist (Animal Science), North 24 Parganas KVK, WBUAFS, Ashokenagar, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, says that continuous efforts are being made by KVK to make dairy farmers aware of this emerging disease and its treatment and prevention.
In every awareness programme, KVK scientists ask farmers to keep affected animals isolated, treat them as early as possible after identifying the symptoms, and take care of ruptured or sloughed-off nodules to prevent complications from secondary bacterial infections or maggot infestation. Special care should also be taken of young animals and calves. Ensuring vector control and cleanliness inside and outside the shed is crucial.
Can AI Help India Detect Lumpy Skin Disease Before It Spreads?
Beyond all these developments, science is always showing more robust ways of mitigating such dangers. A research paper published in Scientific Reports on 29 November 2025 points to an artificial intelligence- and deep learning-enabled early-warning digital approach to predicting such outbreaks. It offers Vision Transformer (ViT) technology for on-site, economical and timely digital diagnosis of infectious diseases, with 98.12% accuracy, 98.5% precision and 98.5% recall.
