Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV): evaluating global impact, Ethiopia's response strategies, and the promise of gamma-ray inactivated vaccines.

Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), caused by the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV), constitutes an escalating transboundary threat to cattle production, with disproportionately high economic impacts in Ethiopia. This review synthesizes recent global and national data to assess the socio-economic burden of LSDV, evaluate Ethiopia’s current control strategies, and examine the potential role of gamma-ray inactivated vaccines as supplementary candidates to existing immunization protocols. Globally, LSDV is associated with annual production losses of approximately USD 1.46 billion and trade disruptions exceeding USD 5.5 billion. In Ethiopia, LSD outbreaks have led to feedlot losses valued at USD 667,785.60, individual mortality costs averaging USD 477.70 per animal, and herd-level impacts reaching up to USD 2,735 in commercial systems and USD 489 in smallholder settings. LSDV has further contributed to annual beef yield reductions of 1.2% in indigenous Zebu breeds and 6.2% in Holstein-Friesian crosses. While current live attenuated vaccines provide long-lasting immunity, they are associated with post-vaccination reactions, replication risk, and cold chain dependency. Gamma-ray inactivated vaccines offer improved safety profiles and thermal stability, enhancing feasibility for deployment in low-resource settings. Their integration into Ethiopia’s livestock health framework could strengthen LSDV control efforts and contribute to long-term food security, economic resilience, and sustainable disease management.