Probability of Lumpy Skin Disease increasing for Australia

The Australian cattle industry in on high alert — with the chances of the national herd being infected by a devastating disease increasing.

The odds of Australia being exposed to a cattle disease that could result in the overnight closure of lucrative overseas markets have shortened dramatically in recent weeks.

Red Meat Advisory Council chairman John McKillop said there was now a 28 per cent chance of the devastating lumpy skin disease entering Australia from Indonesia in the next two or three years — up from 8 per cent two months ago.

Mr McKillop told the Global Food Forum in Melbourne last week that should lumpy skin disease enter Australia, it could not realistically be controlled.

Lumpy Skin Disease is threatening the Australian cattle industry.

“In reality, we will probably get lumpy skin disease within three to four years and it’s a matter of whether we can be prepared enough with our vaccination program,” said Mr McKillop, who oversees one of the nation’s biggest beef herds in his capacity as chief executive of Hancock Agriculture and S.Kidman and Co.
Mr McKillop said lumpy skin disease had spread from Africa, through the Middle East and China before being detected in Indonesia about three months ago. He said the disease affected Bos Taurus cattle more than Bos Indicus, which meant the dairy industry was also under threat.

Mr McKillop said there was work going on behind the scenes to change protocols which would mean beef could be exported if there was a lumpy skin disease outbreak.

He said a vaccination program would also need a change in protocols, as those nations that vaccinate with live vaccine are deemed to have the disease.

“Indonesia (under the current protocols) could ban us even though it (LSD) came from there,” he said.

While lumpy skin disease had received a lot of attention when it was first found in Indonesia, Mr McKillop said the impetus to deal with it had been replaced by the more recent issue of foot and mouth disease.

He said any outbreak of FMD in Australia would be “absolutely devastating” to the Australian livestock industry as it was across species and very hard to control, even though it was not as easily spread as lumpy skin.

Lumpy skin disease is spread by insects that could travel 500-600km in a day.

And while any detection in Australia could see specific areas isolated, this would not necessarily limit the spread of LSD.

“We could isolate the north say if it (LSD) got into the Kimberley, but a windstorm could see it into the Pilbara, and another windstorm it could be into the VRD (Victoria River Downs) and another windstorm and it would be into the Barkly Tablelands,” Mr McKillop said.

“If LSD comes into Australia, we cannot think that we can reasonably control it.”

There is no risk to human health from lumpy skin disease.