Lumpy skin disease, which had taken the form of an epidemic in Nepal’s eastern Jhapa district two years ago, is spreading again in the area, veterinary officials said.

According to the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Expert Centre in Jhapa, 6,039 cattle have been infected across the district, and at least 54 have already died this fiscal year.

While the current spread is not as severe as the earlier outbreak, officials said the number of cases is gradually increasing.

The highest number of infections has been recorded in Mechinagar and Barhadashi municipalities, while Damak has reported comparatively fewer cases.

“Though it is not yet on the scale of the previous epidemic, the rising rate of infection is concerning,” said Sheetal Bhattarai, chief of the Livestock Expert Centre in Jhapa. “Vaccination has been prioritised to tackle the situation.”

Bhattarai said 72,500 vaccine doses have been made available for Jhapa district. Of them, 31,618 have been administered in coordination with local governments.

Medicines are also being distributed for the treatment of animals with serious symptoms, she said, while healthy livestock are being prioritised for vaccination.

The current outbreak follows a major wave in June-July 2023, during which more than 35,100 cattle were infected, and 4,685 died in the district. The following year saw a significant decline in cases.

Veterinary officials said the present infections are mostly seen in animals that had missed earlier vaccinations, were recently born, or were brought in from outside the district.

“There have been no cases reported among previously vaccinated animals,” said Bhattarai.

Veterinarians say the infected cattle have acute fever, discharge from the eyes and nose, salivation, and soft blister-like nodules all over their bodies.

After contracting the infection, the animals immediately start losing weight due to difficulty in eating, which ultimately affects their milk yield. Pregnant cows and buffaloes could suffer a miscarriage, and some of the infected animals could die.

Due to widespread infection in cattle, farmers incurred heavy losses—loss of animals, decline in dairy production, and the consequent impact on farming. It takes 20 to 30 days or more to get the infected animals cured.

As the virus is not zoonotic, the chances of humans getting infected are slim, say experts.