Lumpy skin disease in cattle: signs, prevention and who to call

29 October 2026 · 2 min read · Krishoker Thikana desk

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease of cattle. It was first reported in Bangladesh in Chattogram in March 2020 and has since spread across the country. It rarely kills large numbers of animals, but it cuts milk yield, damages hides and leaves cattle weak for weeks, which is a heavy loss for small farmers.

How it spreads

The virus is carried mainly by blood-feeding insects such as flies and mosquitoes. That is why cases often rise in the warm, wet months, and why a single sick animal can infect a whole shed.

Signs to watch for

• Fever and loss of appetite.
• Firm, round lumps on the skin, often on the neck, legs and udder. Within two or three days they can turn into open sores that leak a thick fluid.
• A sudden drop in milk.
• Swelling of the legs, and weakness.

What to do if you see it

• Separate the sick animal from the rest of the herd at once, and keep it under a mosquito net.
• Call your Upazila Livestock Office or a registered vet. In one outbreak, cows treated by the livestock department improved, while those treated by village quacks got worse.
• Do not sell or move sick animals; it spreads the disease to other villages.
• Keep sores clean and follow the vet's instructions on medicine. Do not guess doses.

How to prevent it

• Vaccination: the Department of Livestock Services has run LSD vaccination drives, including one with FAO support that covered about 70,000 cows in major milk districts. Ask your Upazila Livestock Office whether vaccine is available in your area.
• Keep the shed clean and dry, clear dung daily and drain standing water where mosquitoes breed.
• Use mosquito nets or smoke at night during the insect season.
• Keep newly bought cattle apart for at least two weeks, and do not buy animals with lumps or sores.

LSD is a disease of cattle; it does not spread to people. Milk should still be boiled before drinking, as always.

For more help, see the Livestock and Dairy pages of this site, which list the Department of Livestock Services, the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute and international animal-health bodies.