Myanmar | FAO supports veterinary services with virtual capacity building for a lumpy skin disease risk assessment

Under COVID-19 restrictions, FAO’s Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health provided virtual support to Myanmar to develop its LSD preparedness

In December 2019, after monitoring the development of a lumpy skin disease (LSD) event in South Asia, FAO’s Emergency Management Centre for Animal Health (EMC-AH) activated a specific Incident Coordination Group (ICG) that would focus on LSD. LSD is a disease that affects domestic cattle and Asian water buffalo, with animals presenting noticeable skin nodules as the disease’s name suggests. The economic impact of an LSD outbreak can be substantial, with small-scale farmers suffering the greatest losses. The disease affects cattle production, milk yields, and the overall health of the animal, and control measures may include restrictions on cattle movements and trade, which in turn can have a detrimental effect on the economy of a country. Successful efforts to limit the spread of the disease include large-scale vaccination, which is widely seen as the best approach. Effective vaccines against the disease do exist, and the earlier the intervention, the more minimal the impact of the outbreak.

The LSD ICG serves as a coordination platform through which FAO colleagues and international partners can share updates, provide information and request support relating to this particular animal health disease. EMC-AH holds weekly ICG calls, with a rotating agenda of specific animal health diseases, one of which is LSD. The LSD ICG has been successful in maintaining regular communication with the FAO representation in affected countries, with up-to-date information on countries’ preparedness and response activities being shared with the group by in-country animal health experts.