Lumpy Skin Disease: Cattle Under Close Surveillance in Europe

Georgia reported two outbreaks of contagious bovine lumpy skin disease (BLD) on November 8, 2016, near the Russian border. All neighboring countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey) have already reported the presence of the disease on their territory. Thus, the spread of the bovine poxvirus continues in Europe and beyond, with a sharp increase in incidence (957 outbreaks reported as of September 26, 2016) despite the control measures implemented, particularly in the affected countries. In Europe, this highly contagious enzootic viral disease has already affected Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. In France, no cases have been reported so far, but the utmost vigilance is required.   Under surveillance for two years now, the European epizootic of lumpy skin disease initially spread “like wildfire from outbreaks in western Turkey and Greece,” before reaching the Balkans, where it is advancing in “short, sporadic bursts,” covering an average of 7.5 km each week since May 2015. In response to the increasing number of outbreaks in southeastern Europe, the Direction générale de l'alimentation (DGAL) published a technical instruction* on November 9 to clarify the procedures for monitoring and managing any clinically suspected cases of the disease on French territory. It reiterates that this is a category 1 health hazard that is notifiable and subject to an emergency public health response plan.

• A veterinarian’s report of a potential case within a herd must meet three clinical criteria:
• the presence of at least one cow exhibiting at least two hard, rounded, painless nodules with a diameter of 0.5 to 5 cm (sometimes identifiable only by palpation);
• the observation of at least one of the key clinical signs (hyperthermia, lymphadenopathy, anorexia, epiphora, nasal discharge, ptyalism, subcutaneous edema) in at least one bovine (either the one with nodules or another);
• the absence of a definite identification of another cause during the differential diagnosis (notably cutaneous leukosis, cutaneous actinobacillosis, actinomycosis, nocardiosis, dermatophytosis, dermatophilosis).

The entire herd must be examined during the veterinarian’s visit to detect general signs that might otherwise go unnoticed, such as hyperthermia (up to 41 °C) or lesions of the nasal, oral, and ocular mucous membranes. In fact, the disease is partly asymptomatic. Any suspected cases will be recorded in the Sigal database. Veterinary interventions, testing costs, and compensation for slaughtered animals or destroyed products will be covered by the government. The opinion of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), which was consulted in April 2016 regarding the risk assessment of introducing lumpy skin disease into France and the vaccination strategy to be adopted, is expected by the end of the year. According to experts from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)**, vaccination is the most effective method for combating the spread of the disease and eradicating it. If the vaccination campaign is carried out properly—and, above all, as a preventive measure—the partial culling of sick animals would be just as effective as the stamping out of affected herds, which is currently required by European legislation. In France, “a vaccination strategy can only be considered as a supplement to disease control measures and with the approval of the European Commission,” states the DGAL. In the meantime, an awareness campaign on disease surveillance has been launched targeting veterinarians and livestock farmers, who are urged to respond immediately by reporting any clinical signs suggestive of DNCB. In early August, a DGAL bulletin had already raised awareness among veterinarians, as well as commercial operators and live animal transporters, regarding the prevention of the disease’s introduction into France.   * See technical instruction DGAL/SDSPA/2016-872 dated November 9, 2016. ** http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4573