Need 2.7 Million Vaccines To Prevent LSD Outbreaks Attacking Cows In Sumatra, Unfortunately The Ministry Of Agriculture's Vaccine Stock Is Not Enough

Illustration of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) outbreak in cattle. ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Agriculture.

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Agriculture has provided 476,000 doses of vaccine for the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) outbreak on Sumatra Island that attacks cattle and buffalo. This is to prevent transmission of the virus to the public.

Director of Animal Health at the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, Nuryani Zainuddin, said that currently the availability of vaccine stock is 476,075 doses, while vaccines are needed for 2.7 million head of cattle on the island of Sumatra that were hit by the LSD outbreak.

"How much budget do we need to vaccinate with 2.7 million? We need Rp. 104,733,702,000. This is what we are doing and trying, who provides this big budget," said Nuryani in the webinar 'Lumpy Skin Disease Outbreak' in Jakarta , Between, Wednesday, March 20.

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is an infectious disease in cattle and buffalo, caused by the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) which belongs to the Capripoxvirus genus.

Since early 2022, LSD cases have emerged in several districts/cities of Riau Province in Indonesia and until now have spread to other areas on the island of Sumatra.

Based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture, currently there are 527 LSD cases in Riau Province, 564 cases in Aceh, 73 cases in North Sumatra, 13 cases in Jambi, and 4 cases in West Sumatra with a total of 1,181 individuals.

Nuryani said the LSD mortality rate in livestock was 1 to 5 percent, and the morbidity was 10 to 45 percent. He said that only one case of death of livestock in Indonesia due to LSD was reported.

Although the death rate is not high, Nuryani said LSD can cause quite a detrimental economic impact.

"The economic impact will certainly lead to decreased production, thinness, and decreased milk production. Then permanent skin damage, decreased or lost all fertility in male and female cows," said Nuryani.

Nuryani said that currently the most effective LSD control is vaccination.