Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has been front and centre of the attention of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA) over the past 18 months as it has continued to move across south-east Asia closer to the northern Australian coastline.

Despite this increasing risk, until recently there was limited LSD diagnostic testing available for the northern cattle industry with exclusion testing on suspect samples performed only at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong, Victoria.

The NTCA said in a statement that industry confidence that the veterinary laboratory network will manage the testing demands and carry out high numbers of LSD tests efficiently if or when there is a LSD traceback or suspect case impacting trade or an incursion is critical.

“We recently had a test run for the northern cattle industry and the supporting veterinary laboratory network with samples collected from cattle across the north to provide evidence of Australia’s LSD free status.”

The NTCA currently has a project investigating LSD testing capability and capacity for the northern Australia cattle industry and would like to invite NT pastoralists to give their opinion on what more can be done.

The outcomes of this project will be used to inform biosecurity infrastructure investment and supply chain extension activity.

Take part in the survey here.