UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Lumpy skin disease is an economically important viral disease of cattle that may cause morbidity, mortality and reduced productivity under field conditions. This retrospective epidemiological study assessed risk factors associated with lumpy skin disease outbreaks and evaluated field vaccine effectiveness in cattle from Nanded district, Maharashtra, India, during 2023–2025. Data were collected from 120 cattle farms comprising 7,250 cattle through farm records, vaccination registers, veterinary reports and structured interviews with livestock owners. The surveyed population included 2,350 cattle in 2023, 2,420 in 2024 and 2,480 in 2025. Vaccination coverage increased from 34.9% in 2023 to 52.9% in 2024 and 66.5% in 2025. During the same period, disease incidence declined from 26.0% to 20.6% and 15.6%, respectively, while mortality decreased from 2.6% to 1.9% and 1.4%. Multivariable logistic regression identified lack of vaccination, absence of vector control, introduction of new animals, absence of quarantine and poor sanitation as significant risk factors for outbreak occurrence. Unvaccinated herds had the highest adjusted odds ratio, followed by farms without vector control. Vaccine effectiveness, estimated from attack rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated cattle, increased from 49.2% in 2023 to 68.9% in 2024 and 70.7% in 2025. These findings indicate that vaccination, when combined with vector control, quarantine and improved sanitation, may reduce the occurrence and severity of lumpy skin disease outbreaks in cattle.