Lumpy skin disease (LSD) has once again emerged as a major threat to cattle in India, with suspected and confirmed cases being reported from several states and livestock farmers facing significant economic losses. The resurgence, nearly four years after the country witnessed a large-scale outbreak, has renewed questions over the effectiveness of the vaccination strategy being followed to control the disease.
Despite India having an indigenous, LSD-specific homologous vaccine—Lumpi-ProVacInd—developed by scientists of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 2022, most states continue to rely on the heterologous goatpox vaccine (Uttarkashi strain) for LSD prevention.
LSD vaccine available, but adoption remains limited
ICAR–National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar, in collaboration with ICAR–Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI), Bareilly, has successfully developed a homologous live-attenuated vaccine for Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) to effectively combat the disease in cattle across the country. The vaccine has been demonstrated to be safe for cattle and is known to elicit a strong and robust cell-mediated immune response.
Technology licensing for commercial production has since been granted to six firms, including Biovet Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru; Hester Biosciences Ltd, Ahmedabad; Indian Immunologicals Ltd, Hyderabad; and Brilliant Bio Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad.
However, the availability of an indigenous homologous vaccine has not yet translated into widespread adoption across the country.
According to information from highly placed sources, only Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have so far placed orders with Biovet Pvt Ltd for the LSD vaccine. With only one company currently producing the vaccine commercially, its price remains relatively high. This may have contributed to the two states placing orders for quantities that are relatively small compared with their total cattle populations. Most other states continue to depend on the goatpox vaccine for LSD control.
Government advised use of LSD vaccine
The continued reliance on goatpox vaccine comes despite an advisory issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) on March 2, 2026, recommending the use of LSD vaccine in cattle.
According to the advisory, "A gap of one year from the date of previous vaccination (with goat pox vaccine) may be provided before switching to homologous live attenuated LSD vaccine in cattle."
However, the response from states appears to have been limited, even as LSD outbreaks have begun increasing again.
From the 2022 outbreak to the current resurgence
India reported its first LSD cases in Odisha in 2019, after which the disease spread to several parts of the country. When a major outbreak struck cattle during 2021–22, a homologous LSD vaccine was not yet available in India. Then Government of India also authorized the use of the goatpox vaccine to control LSD in cattle. However, the heterologous vaccine provides only partial protection and is not as efficacious as a homologous vaccine.
After a widespread outbreak in 2022, LSD incidence declined in 2023–2024, but by mid-2025, new outbreaks emerged across several states, highlighting the continued vulnerability of Indian cattle.
Since 2021–22, India has implemented annual mass vaccination with the goatpox vaccine for LSD control. However, frequent reports of LSD cases have prompted an evaluation of its field effectiveness.
Goatpox vaccine offers limited protection
Field investigations were conducted in October 2025 in Rajasthan across 18 farms in five districts, covering 8,930 cattle. Overall, the Uttarkashi strain-based goatpox vaccine demonstrated low field effectiveness (21.7%), with similar LSD occurrence in vaccinated (11.2%) and unvaccinated (14.3%) cattle. Partial protection was noted in Udaipur and Rajsamand districts, but the vaccine showed no effectiveness in Balotra and Hanumangarh districts.
The findings suggested that the goatpox vaccine provides only limited protection against LSD in cattle, highlighting the need to phase out the use of the goatpox vaccine and adopt a homologous, LSD-specific mass vaccination strategy in India.
Why are states still using goatpox vaccine?
The major factor appears to be cost.
A dose of the goatpox vaccine costs around Rs 5, while the LSD vaccine costs approximately Rs 23 per dose. The substantial price difference makes the goatpox vaccine considerably cheaper for states undertaking large-scale vaccination campaigns.
Experts associated with vaccine research and production, however, believe that the price of the LSD vaccine could decline as more manufacturers begin commercial production. Greater competition and economies of scale could make the vaccine more affordable and facilitate wider adoption.
Long wait for commercial availability
The delay between the development of Lumpi-ProVacInd and its commercial availability has also been significant.
The indigenous vaccine was developed by ICAR in 2022, after the devastating LSD outbreak in India. The vaccine was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister in August 2022 for protection against LSD.
However, regulatory approval for commercial production took a long time. Biovet received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in 2024, and the company subsequently launched BIOLUMPIVAXIN®, described as first indigenous, DIVA marker LSD vaccine, in May 2025. Thus, nearly three years elapsed between the development of the vaccine and its commercial launch.
Need to reassess LSD vaccination strategy
The resurgence of LSD despite years of mass goatpox vaccination has raised questions about whether the current strategy remains adequate.
With an indigenous LSD vaccine now available, the key challenge is shifting from an emergency vaccination strategy adopted during the 2021–22 crisis to a more targeted, LSD-specific vaccination programme.