Characterization of a Nigerian Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Isolate after Experimental Infection of Cattle.

Janika Wolff,Olayinka Asala,Rebecca Atai,Banenat Dogonyaro,Anja Globig,Martin Beer,Eeva Tuppurainen,Jolly Adole,Clement Meseko,Bernd Hoffmann,Donata Hoffmann,Adeyinka Adedeji

doi:10.3390/pathogens11010016

Janika Wolff, Olayinka Asala + Show 10 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11010016

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Abstract

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), together with sheeppox virus and goatpox virus, belong to the genus Capripoxvirus within the family Poxviridae. Collectively, they are considered the most serious poxvirus diseases of agricultural livestock. Due to their severe clinical course and consequent loss of production, as well as high mortality of naïve small and large ruminant populations, they are known to have a significant impact on the economy and global trade restrictions of affected countries. Therefore, all capripox diseases are classified as notifiable under the guidelines of the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE). Since the 1970s, several outbreaks of LSD have been recorded in Nigeria. Until now, only a little information on the virus strains leading to the reported outbreaks have been published, dealing mainly with the phylogenetic relationship of those strains and the description of field outbreaks. During the present study, we experimentally infected cattle with a low-passage Nigerian LSDV strain isolated from a skin sample of LSD positive cattle in Nigeria in 2018. Clinical, molecular and serological data indicate that this LSDV isolate is highly pathogenic in cattle since it induced a severe clinical course and approximately 33% mortality in naïve Holstein Friesian cattle after experimental infection.

Highlights

The genus Capripoxvirus consists of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), sheeppox virus (SPPV) and goatpox virus (GTPV) [1]
The first clinical sign observed after experimental infection was increased body temperature, which started at 5 dpi with individual animal R-41 exhibiting 39.7 ◦ C
The experimental inoculation of cattle with the LSDV V/281-Nigeria field strain resulted in a typical clinical course

Summary

Introduction

The genus Capripoxvirus consists of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), sheeppox virus (SPPV) and goatpox virus (GTPV) [1]. Natural hosts of LSDV are cattle and domestic water buffalo [2,3,4], and transmission is known to occur mainly mechanically via blood-feeding insects [5,6,7] and possibly hard ticks [8]. Transmission via shared drinking troughs [9], intrauterine [10] and seminal transmission [11] have been described. It is believed that direct contact between infected and naïve cattle is an inefficient mode of transmission of LSDV [5,12], but actual experimental evidence is still lacking. The incubation period after experimental infection is

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