Knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and risk factors of lumpy skin disease among livestock owners in Pakistan

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), caused by the LSDV virus, affects cattle and water buffalo, resulting inskin nodules, weight loss, and reduced milk production. In current study, a cross-sectional survey was conductedto evaluate the knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and risk factors associated with lumpy skin disease (LSD)in cattle among livestock owners in the Chakwal district, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 383 livestock owners participatedin the study from five different villages of district Chakwal. Data analysis was performed using SPSS,Jamovi software, while Graphpad Prism aided in creating graphical representations. The results showed that mostof the participants were from Sohawa village (29%), Muslim (98.2%), male (66.8%), age group 51-60 years old(36%), Punjabi (94.3%), married (85.1%), illiterate (78.6%), and monthly income above 50,000 (42.0%). Mostof the participants (77.3%) were aware of LSD while54% knew the risks involved. Regarding attitude, 67.2%of cattle owners believed that their animals were at risk while 84.1% wanted their cattle checked for illness, and96.3% would appreciate free care if their cattle had lumpy skin disease. Concerning risk factors, 74.4% participantsdid not view economic instability as a significant concern, but 68.7% thought an unregulated animal husbandrysystem as a risk. Furthermore, 42% of respondents agreed that there is a connection between a higher diseaserisk and larger herd sizes while 75.2% believed that insects may spread the virus. The knowledge, attitudes, andpractices of cattle owners regarding lumpy skin disease (LSD) were elucidated by the KAP study revealed thatcattle owners have a LSD knowledge, risk factors awareness and positive attitude towards prevention and control,emphasizing the importance of immunization and biosecurity measures. To effectively manage LSD, educationalprograms, enhanced biosecurity procedures, and improved disease management strategies are recommended.