The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Virtual Learning Center for the Near East and North Africa (VLC-RNE), has designed an an online training course on Lumpy Skin Disease. The training is designed to support governmental and private veterinarians and specialist staff. .

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an internationally spreading disease that affects cattle, Asian water buffaloes, and some wildlife species. It is a vector-borne pox virus that is characterized by the appearance of skin nodules. It has an impact on animal welfare, causes significant economic impacts due to loss of milk and beef production and reproductive losses, and is costly to control and eradicate. .

"Lumpy skin disease is one of the priority diseases in the NENA region and represents a major threat to cattle and cattle production, with substantial impacts on livelihoods and food security, particularly among smallholders,” said Dr. Friederike Mayen, Senior Livestock Development Officer at FAO-RNE.

The content of this course was originally developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU), together with the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD) and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Germany. 

It has now been customized, in collaboration with regional and international experts, to fit regional situations and language contexts. The course combines convenient self-paced study with a unique opportunity to discuss and network with international and national experts. The overall objective of the course is to build knowledge and skills for diagnosis, prevention, and response to LSD outbreaks among technical specialists and field veterinarians. The expectation is that an improvement in early detection and response to LSD outbreaks will lead to a gradual reduction in the impact of the disease on livestock production and productivity in the region. 

“The course will improve personal skills among public and private stakeholders using effective e-learning technology that will contribute to preparedness and control efforts for LSD. The course is tailored to consider regional needs and context,'' ADDED Rehab Elbassal, Coordinator for the VLC of the Near East and North Africa.