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There have been numerous outbreaks of lumpy skin disease (LSD) recently, especially in the Eastern Cape where alternating wet and then sunny weather has probably encouraged the biting insect vectors of the virus.

Although LSD usually infects herds during the wet autumn and summer months, it may also strike during the dry season. Recent research has shown that certain ticks can transmit the disease. This suggests a higher likelihood of infection outside the expected seasons, especially where ticks survive throughout the warmer winter.

Infection with the virus has a profound effect on animal productivity – dramatically reducing milk production,