What is lumpy skin disease, a disease detected in Savoie which led to the euthanasia of entire herds of cows?

By The New Obs with AFP

"We're definitely going to get it" : His cows are being vaccinated this Saturday, July 19, against lumpy skin disease, which is thriving in the two Savoie regions. But breeder Benoît Mugnier fears euthanizing his herd if a case is detected, an ordeal other breeders have already experienced. Where was the first case discovered? What do we know about the disease? "Le Nouvel Obs" summarizes the situation.

After the appearance of a first case in Italy, on June 20 in Sardinia, it was in the farmer's commune, Entrelacs, that the first case of this contagious disease affecting cattle and not transmissible to humans was detected on June 29, before it spread rapidly.

As of July 17, 27 outbreaks have been recorded in Savoie (17 in the commune of Entrelacs alone) and Haute-Savoie (10 in 4 different communes).

A viral disease, lumpy skin disease (LSD), only affects cattle, buffalo and zebu and is transmitted by biting insects (biting flies or horseflies that feed on the blood of cattle). "The biting insects can travel several kilometers and spread the virus by biting cattle," says the Ministry of Agriculture .

It leads to "significant production losses" that can lead "to the death of a portion of the infected herd" (around 10%), explains the Ministry of Agriculture. The disease causes fever, a drop in lactation, enlarged lymph nodes, and nodules on the skin and mucous membranes. It "can lead to a temporary reduction in milk production, temporary or permanent sterility in bulls, damage to the hides, and sometimes death," adds the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO).

"NCD is terribly painful. The animals are in great pain. They can no longer eat or drink," veterinarian Stéphanie Philizot told Reporterre.net .

Fortunately, it is not transmissible to humans, " neither through contact with infected cattle, nor through the consumption of products from contaminated cattle, nor through bites from vector insects" , assures the Ministry of Agriculture .

Normally, lumpy skin disease is only found in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. However, it has been detected in North Africa since 2023, as well as observed in the Balkans, as well as in Greece and Bulgaria in the late 2010s, the ministry's website further explains. "It was eradicated from this area thanks to a vaccination campaign."

To limit the spread, the government has ordered the systematic euthanasia of any herd with a sick cow, sparking anger and protests among affected farmers and a section of the agricultural community. In Entralacs, on the green hills overlooking the Alps, Pierre-Jean Duchêne, whose farm has been affected by two cases, is refusing to euthanize 70 of his cows, a measure he considers "drastic."

Tractors and vehicles decorated with banners reading "Stop the massacres" and "Cows kept, farmers saved" block all access to his farm, where farmers, neighbors and friends have been taking turns to support him for a week. "We are not here to fight against the State, we are here to try to defend our herds," insists the 28-year-old farmer, who has taken over the family farm, for whom the "struggle" must remain "calm."

On Wednesday, Savoie Prefect Vanina Nicoli condemned "acts of intimidation" against veterinary services on two farms and denounced "irresponsible" blockades that "contribute to the spread of the disease ." But there has been no "development on other animals to date," argues Pierre-Jean Duchêne, who is anxiously awaiting the results of tests on two cows to, he hopes, prove the good health of the herd. In the meantime, all have been "confined" for three weeks in a large stable equipped with fans. The farmer blames state services for not having anticipated the disease, which has already appeared elsewhere in Europe.

At the same time, authorities will now vaccinate some 285,000 cattle in southeastern France. "The maximum number of available doses" has been ordered from the European Union's vaccine bank to deal with the epizootic and they are "being distributed," the ministry said in a statement. These vaccine doses, paid for by the state, will make it possible to vaccinate cattle within a 50-kilometer radius of the declared outbreaks, in four departments: Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Ain, and Isère.

The state must compensate owners of euthanized animals and will cover the disposal of carcasses in the event of cattle slaughter, according to a decree published in the Official Journal on Friday.

The cows will, however, have to reach 21 days before the protection takes full effect. This leaves little hope for Benoît Mugnier... With numerous flies and horseflies in his stable, and without the possibility of installing a ventilation system, he assures us: "It's certain that we'll die, we're cooked."

If a case is detected in the meantime and puts him "up against the wall" , "I don't know how I'm going to react, I don't know anything" , admits the 36-year-old farmer, who makes a living from his milk processing workshop.

"It's obviously extremely painful" because "it's the work of several generations that is going away," reacted Stéphane Gallel, spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne, the third largest union in the profession, which denounces the systematic slaughter. Several of its members take turns on two farms to block the slaughter.

The National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FDSEA), which is part of the FNSEA network, welcomed the decision as "responsible" , with total euthanasia remaining the most "effective" strategy for stopping the epidemic according to the union.