A deadly disease spreading in an Arab country… Who does it infect and how is it transmitted?

The Libyan authorities announced that they had monitored the spread of the deadly “lumpy skin” disease among cows, which led to the infection of hundreds of heads and the death of a number of others.

The disease appeared in the regions of eastern Libya, including the cities of Al-Bayda and Al-Marj, and other hotspots were recorded in the Tokra and Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar regions, where the agricultural authorities counted 177 infections, in addition to the death of a number of cows.

The disease, which directly affects cows and to a lesser extent sheep, is a virus that is transmitted between animals by insects or by eating contaminated food and drink. Its symptoms are high temperatures, sinusitis, and the appearance of pimples on the skin.

The Libyan Center for Animal Health said that the entry of the disease into the country was through smuggling operations of cows from neighboring African countries, especially from Sudan and Chad, while other parties suggested that the disease spread due to the accumulation and pollution of water and the appearance of stagnant pools after the recent floods that struck eastern Libya, which caused the spread of the disease. Insects that transmit disease. (Arabic)