Japanese Encephalitis and Lumpy Skin Disease in Australia

Status verified: 29 August 2026. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) are different diseases with different Australian statuses. This page separates them and links to the current government advice.

If either disease is suspected in an animal, contact a veterinarian and immediately call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888. Do not wait for an online article to confirm a diagnosis.

Japanese encephalitis virus

JEV is spread by mosquitoes. The Australian Government reports that the 2022 outbreak involved more than 80 piggeries in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. JEV is now considered established in some parts of mainland Australia and may occur seasonally when mosquito activity increases, particularly in warmer months. Tropical detections can occur at other times.

The current national animal-health position is available on the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Japanese encephalitis virus page. State and territory agriculture and health authorities publish local detections, warnings and vaccination eligibility.

How JEV is transmitted

Mosquitoes acquire the virus from infected hosts and can transmit it when they bite. Pigs can develop enough virus in their blood to infect more mosquitoes and are therefore an amplifying host. Waterbirds are part of the natural transmission cycle.

Humans and horses are “dead-end” hosts: they do not develop enough virus in their blood to pass it back to mosquitoes. People do not catch JEV directly from pigs or horses. Japanese encephalitis is not a food-safety concern, and commercially produced pork is safe to eat.

Signs in pigs and horses

Possible signs in pigs include reproductive losses, mummified or stillborn piglets, weak piglets and neurological signs in young animals. Boars may experience infertility. Adult sows often show few obvious signs.

Most infected horses show no or mild signs, but possible signs include fever, lethargy, reduced appetite, jaundice and neurological changes such as poor coordination, difficulty swallowing, impaired vision or unusual excitement. Several diseases can produce similar signs. Use a veterinarian and appropriate personal protective equipment when handling a sick horse.

Reduce mosquito exposure

• Remove or manage unnecessary standing water where mosquitoes can breed, where this can be done safely and lawfully.
• Maintain screens, protective clothing and other controls recommended by the relevant animal-health and public-health authority.
• Use only products approved for the animal, purpose and situation, and follow the label.
• Plan worker protection with the site risk assessment, especially around piggeries, wetlands, floodwater and periods of high mosquito activity.
• Check state or territory public-health guidance for current human-vaccination eligibility. Do not assume that one state’s program applies everywhere.

For current human-health prevention and vaccination information, use the Australian Centre for Disease Control’s JEV guidance, which links to current state and territory eligibility pages, and the Australian Immunisation Handbook. Eligibility and local risk areas can change. Personal vaccination advice should come from a qualified health professional or immunisation provider.

Lumpy skin disease

LSD is a serious viral disease that mainly affects cattle and buffalo. The Australian Government states that Australia is free from LSD and has never had an incursion. Overseas outbreaks and import restrictions can change, but an overseas detection is not evidence that the disease is present in Australia.

Use the current Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry lumpy skin disease page for Australia’s status, preparedness actions and links for livestock producers and veterinarians.

Possible signs

Signs can include fever, firm skin nodules, enlarged lymph nodes, swelling, discharge from the eyes or nose, reduced appetite, reduced milk production, lameness and reproductive loss. Not every affected animal shows every sign, and other diseases can look similar.

How LSD can spread

LSD can be spread between animals, including through biting insects such as flies and mosquitoes. Live animals and reproductive material can carry risk, and contaminated equipment can contribute to spread. It is not a human-health risk.

Practical farm biosecurity for both diseases

• Know the normal health and production pattern of animals and investigate unusual illness, reproductive loss or neurological signs promptly.
• Keep livestock purchase, movement, visitor and treatment records that support tracing.
• Source animals and reproductive material from reliable suppliers and comply with movement and import requirements.
• Clean equipment and manage visitor, contractor and vehicle access between animal groups and properties.
• Use an integrated insect-management plan suited to the animals, property and current authority advice.
• Train workers to report unusual signs without handling or moving suspect animals unnecessarily.
• Keep the emergency hotline and the business’s veterinarian details in the farm emergency plan.

What not to infer

• JEV being established in parts of mainland Australia does not mean every region or farm has active transmission.
• An overseas LSD outbreak does not mean LSD has reached Australia.
• A vaccine being available overseas does not mean it is approved, recommended or available for a particular use in Australia.
• A static website cannot replace current state or territory alerts, a veterinarian or public-health advice.

Workers should follow the host workplace’s current biosecurity and mosquito-control procedures and report missing, unclear or impractical controls to the supervisor. A placement concern may also be raised through Orchard Tech’s Get in Touch page. Suspected emergency animal disease must be reported immediately to a veterinarian or the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Publisher: Orchard Tech. Primary authorities: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for animal health; Australian Centre for Disease Control and current state or territory health departments for human health and vaccination. Review by: 30 November 2026, or immediately after an Australian detection, status change, new government alert or material change to vaccination or movement advice.