The first outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Spain was confirmed on 3 October by the Spanish authorities, in a farm in the municipality of Alt d’Ampordà near Figueres, in Catalunya, at approximately 20 km south of the French border. The origin is as yet unknown.
First case in a 123-head dairy farm
LSD was first diagnosed in Spain in the 123-cow dairy herd on 1 October, in three animals with clinical signs (fever and skin nodules), according to the report sent to the World Organisation for Animal Health. The farm was sealed and samples were sent to the Spanish reference laboratory, which confirmed the results by PCR.
Surveillance zone overlaps into France
The investigation has shown that the farm has an epidemiological link with two other farms in the same area: one with 255 heifers, and the other with 821 dairy cows. As the index case is located less than 20 km from the French border, part of southern France is included in the 50 km surveillance zone.
Italy: 30, France: 79
In Italy, a total of 30 outbreaks have been observed since the first outbreak at the end of June, mainly on Sardinia (last report 1 October). In France, a total 79 outbreaks had been reported by 2 October, in four departments (Savoie, Haute Savoie, Ain and Rhône). The last outbreak was observed on 18 September.
LSD strains related to those from Nigeria and South Africa
The only confirmed outbreak in mainland Italy (Lombardy region, Mantua province) was the consequence of the legal movement of animals from the first confirmed outbreak in Sardinia about three weeks earlier, the Italian authorities state. Genotyping has shown that the virus circulating in Italy is closely related to cluster 1.2, which includes strains isolated in Nigeria and South Africa, according to the report.
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