Prevalence and progression of Lumpy Skin Disease cases in cattle over the six months leading up to Eid al-Adha in 2023 in the Cirebon District of West Java Province, Indonesia

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is a disease of ruminant caused by virus of Capripox genus Poxviridae family which result in skin damage up to leave deep holes in the muscle of cattle and even death. The morbidity rate of LSD is quite high but the mortality rate is low. The LSD outbreak was quite disturbing for the people, especially leading up to Eid al-Adha because the legal requirements for sacrificial animals are that they are healthy and without defects. The aim of this paper was to determine prevalence and progression of LSD in cattle in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 or over the six months leading up to Eid al-Adha in 2023. Data on LSD infected, recovered, forcibly slaughtered and killed cattle due to LSD were needed. During this period, LSD has spread to 82 villages in 32 sub-districts with 454 cases out of a total cattle population of 4373 (prevalence was 10.83%). Meanwhile, the progression of LSD cases have improved with a significant cure rate of 137 cattle in response to LSD treatment.


Introduction
Lumpy Skin Disease is caused by the virus of Capripox, genus and Poxviridae family [1].Clinical symptoms of LSD that are commonly observed in the field include fever reaching 41.5°C, a lack of appetite and nodules on the skin that are circumscribed, clear and prominent under the skin or under the muscles with a diameter of between 2-5 cm.Generally, nodules are found in the head, neck, back, abdomen, tail and parts of the genital area.These nodules will necrose and cause sit fast, i.e. leaving deep holes [2].The LSD virus has a limited host and cannot infect non-ruminant hosts [3].The LSD is included on the list of notifiable diseases maintained by the World Organization for Animal Health (WAHO/OIE) because its dissemination can be facilitated by livestock movement, particularly from infected areas.This disease is not a zoonosis.[2,7].Prevention and control of LSD can be facilitated in several ways such as vaccination, vector control, restriction of livestock traffic, strict quarantine and stamping out [3].Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and serological diagnostic assays can be utilised to detect the LSD virus in cattle [4].
The LSD outbreak is very disturbing for the farmers and the community, especially leading up to Eid al-Adha because the legal requirements for sacrificial animals are that they are healthy and without defects [8].The results of pooling opinions of 200 residents of Cirebon District as respondents proved that 147 people among them were worried that the LSD outbreak in cattle could cancel their intention to sacrifice because the legal requirements for sacrificial animals were to be healthy and without defects, 23 people said they did not know and 30 people did not feel worried because LSD in cattle can be prevented by vaccination.Relating to the Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) outbreak in the beginning 2023 in Indonesia, the Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture issued a circular letter regarding the slaughtering sacrificial animal implementation in Eid al-Adha to prevent the spread of LSD.In addition, the Indonesian Government anticipated that the muslim community would maintain its composure and continued to offer sacrifices because according to the Fatwa of Indonesian Ulema Council Number 34 of 2023, LSD infected cows with mild symptoms, characterized by a lump that has not spread to the limbs, are legally permitted to be used as sacrificial animals.In contrast, LSD infected cows with severe clinical symptoms, characterized by the spread of lumps on the all or 50% of animal's body, lumps that have broken and become scabs and scar tissue that causes damage to the skin and the surface of the meat are legally not permitted to be used as sacrificial animals.
Cirebon District is one of the areas affected by the LSD outbreak that began in January 2023, exactly 6 months before Eid al-Adha in 2023 which has been determined to fall on June 29, 2023.As the result of RT-PCR test done by Subang Veterinary Center, positive cases of LSD were found in 3 cattle in Cisaat Village of Dukuntang Sub-district, 2 cattle in Sindangkasih Village of Beber Sub-district, and 1 cattle in Kaligawe Village of Susukan Lebak Sub-District.Since then the disease has spread rapidly to almost all areas of Cirebon District.
Field veterinarians and veterinary paramedics under the Animal Health Center of Cirebon District Agricultural Office have been working hardly to control LSD by vaccinating healthy cows so that they were not subjected to LSD.In addition, cattle with LSD were also treated.The farmers and the people were also provided with education about LSD, beginning with its introduction, disease control and the safety of consuming the flesh, even though it is not zoonotic, so that they would not be agitated by the incorrect information circulating in the community.The public was expected to pay attention to the Fatwa of Indonesian Ulema Council Number 34 of 2023.
This paper was motivated by outbreak of LSD in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 or six months before Eid al-Adha in 2023, which at that time was quite disturbing to the people.This paper aims to determine the prevalence and progression of LSD cases in Cirebon District at the period.

Materials and methods
The data used is data on the periodic prevalence and the progression of LSD cases in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 which was collected by admin of the LSD Crisis Center of Cirebon District Agricultural Office.

Data collection methods
Data on LSD incidence, recovery, forced slaughter and death because of LSD were submitted by field veterinarians and veterinary paramedics via the WhatsApp Group to admin of Cirebon District Agricultural Office.The data was then processed into information about the prevalence and progression of LSD cases in Cirebon District and conveyed to the public through the media.The veterinarians and veterinary paramedics also input the data to the National Animal Health Information System (iSIKHNAS) application which is monitored by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture [7].

Data criteria
LSD incident data are based on the pathognomonic symptoms of LSD that appear in cattle [2].Theses symptomps include the appearance of clearly circumscribed and prominent nodules under the skin or under the muscle with a diameter of between 2-5 cm.Generally nodules are located in the head, neck, back, abdomen, tail and parts of the genital area.These nodules will necrose and induce sitfast i.e. leaving a deep hole.
Data on slaughtered cattle due to LSD are based on the presence of LSD symptoms such as nodules but with a high degree of severity, such as inability to stand up for 1 week with an infausta prognosis from the veterinarian.
Data on recovered cattle from LSD are based on observations of the return of cattle's appetite, the healing of wound on the skin, the shrinking of the lump, despite the scar remaining.Meanwhile, to calculate the progression of LSD cases, data was needed on the number of cattle exposed to LSD, the number of cattle that recovered from LSD, the number of cattle that were forcibly slaughtered and the number of cattle that killed by LSD.
Then, the following formula is used to calculate the number of cattle still afflicted with LSD : The number of cattle still afflicted with LSD = the number of cattle exposed to LSD -(the number of recovered cattle + the number of cattle that were forcibly slaughtered + number of killed cattle due to LSD).

The periodic prevalence of LSD cases
The frequency of LSD cases in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 or during the six months preceding Eid al-Adha 1444 H, was detailed below.During that time frame, there were 454 cases of LSD in both new and old infections across 82 villages and 32 sub-districts, as shown in Tabel 1.

The progression of LSD cases
Table 2 summarized weekly data on the number of cattle exposed to LSD, the number of recovered cattle from LSD This following is data on the number of cattle that were exposed to LSD, the number of cows that recovered from LSD, the number of killed cattle from LSD, the number of cattle that were forcibly slaughtered and the number of cattle still afflicted with LSD.

LSD Trigger Factors
One of the triggering factors for the emergence of LSD cases in Cirebon District was the entrance of new bulls for sacrificial animal stock from other infected districts or provinces without any entry recommendation to the Cirebon District issued by the Cirebon District Agricultural Office.Additionally, cattle are also often without being equipped with an Animal Health Certificate from the area of origin of the cattle.Most livestock producers are reluctant to process livestock traffic requirements documents.Restriction of livestock traffic is not easy to implement, partly due to the access to the toll road that can be passed easily by cattle transport vehicles without any animal health supervision from authorized officers.Weak monitoring of livestock traffic in border areas with other districts or cities in West Java and Central Java Provinces, which are the "entry gates" to Cirebon District, has also been a triggering factor for the emergence of LSD cases in Cirebon District.
The proximity of cattle enclosures in a group of community-owned cattle herds facilitates the vectorborne transmission of LSD, inadequate sanitation of cattle enclosures has resulted in abundance of flies, which are vectors for the transmission of LSD.Farmers, cattle workers, officers, or potential buyers of sacrificial animals who may have previously visited the cattle pens infected with LSD may have carried contaminated materials containing the LSD virus, allowing LSD transmission.

Control Efforts of LSD
Some of the efforts to control LSD carried out by field veterinarians and paramedics of Animal Health Center vaccinated for healthy cattle, treating cattle with symptoms of LSD, disinfecting cattle pens, LSD surveillance and educating farmers about LSD disease, especially related to sanitation, biosecurity, vector control and procedures of entry cattle from other areas into the Cirebon District area.All efforts in the field to control LSD were reported to the Cirebon District Agricultural Office and the iSIKHNAS.The LSD vaccination report includes the vaccination date, the number of vaccinated cows, the cow code (based on the ear tag), the Farmer ID, the cattle pen address, the vaccine type and the LSD vaccination stage.The LSD treatment report includes the treatment date, the cow code, the Farmer ID, the cattle pen address, and the drug type.Until now there is no specific drug or antiviral available for LSD.Therapy that can be given is supportive therapy and treatment for skin lesions.Antibiotics may be given to prevent secondary infections and pneumonia.Anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to reduce pain so that infected cattle will still want to eat.Therefore, an effective vaccine is needed to prevent this disease [5].Antibiotics administration must be stopped on 1 week before slaughtering cattle because residu of the antibiotics in an cattle's product such as meat, will disappear in 1 week after the last antibiotics administering [6].LSD treatment must be accompanied by the application of biosecurity such as monitoring cattle that have just entered the farm, all vehicles, incoming and outgoing guests must be disinfected, including cattle pen workers to change clothes and soak in disinfectants such as hypochlorite/ bleach solution, places to eat, boots and other equipment used in cattle husbandry.Separate newly acquired animals from previously owned animal, as well as animals suspected of being ill from healthy animals.Applications of biosecurity are less expensive than the use of vaccines, but public or farmer awareness of animal health remains low [2].
The six months preceding Eid al-Adha are a particularly vulnerable time for the introduction of LSD and other livestock maladies into the Cirebon District.The incidence of LSD increased concurrently with the unauthorized importation of sacrificial animals into the Cirebon District.It was discovered that many of newly arrived animals had not been vaccinated against LSD, and that the producers did not separate the newly arrived bulls from the long-terms residents of pens.Six months prior to Eid al-Adha in 2023 in Cirebon District, LSD control measures were implemented to cure cows of LSD or at least alleviate mild symptoms so that they were suitable as sacrificial animals and the people felt secure consuming their meat.

Conclusion
The incidence of LSD cases increased concurrently with the illegal importation of sacrificial animal stock bulls into the Cirebon District.In the six month preceding Eid al-Adha in 2023, from January to June, the Cirebon District was highly susceptible to the introduction of LSD and other livestock diseases.Several LSD control efforts at the time yielded satisfactory results as 137 out of 454 infected cattle were cured of LSD, an increase in the cattle cure rate.The LSD treatment was conducted in the hope that cattle would recover from LSD quickly or at least have mild symptoms so that they could be used as sacrifices and the people would feel secure consuming their meat.

Table 1 .
[9] periodic prevalence of LSD in Cirebon District in January -June, 2023 Data were analyzed using descriptive epidemiological methods by calculating the morbidity rate, namely periodic prevalence (expressed as a percentage).The periodic prevalence was the number of old and new infected cattle found in a certain period of time in an area divided by the number of cattle population in that region during the same time period.The periodic prevalence started at a spesifice time and ended at one point in time, for example January to December[9].In this paper the formula used to calculate the periodic prevalence of LSD cases in cattle in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 was : the number of LSD cases in cattle in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 x 100% Population of cattle in Cirebon District from January to June 2023 1292 (2024) 012037

Table 2 .
The Progression of LSD cases in Cirebon District Period January -June, 2023

Date The progression of LSD from January to June 2023
Source : Cirebon District Agricultural Office, 2023

Table 2 .
revealed that on June 27, 2023 or two days prior Eid al-Adha in 2023 there was a significant cure rate, i.e. 137 of 454 LSD infected cattle, recovered as result of the treatment with LSD.The Progression of LSD cases in Cirebon District was depicted in Figure1.