A Brief Review on Lumpy Skin Disease
Shikha Bishnoi*, Mukni dheterwal, Kritika Dhial
*Corresponding Author- shikhabishnoi29@gmail.com
BVSc, MVSc
Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, 243122
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is one of the most economically significant viral illnesses of cattle and is caused by the prototype strain of the Neethling virus, which is categorized in the genus Capripoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. In 1929, LSD was discovered for the first time in Zambia. By 1943, it had spread to Botswana and by 1957 it had reached South Africa, where it had infected over eight million cattle and caused a substantial financial loss. LSD began to spread into the Sudan in the north in 1970, then into Nigeria in the west in 1974 and ultimately into Mauritania, Mali, Ghana and Liberia in the south in 1977. The first report of LSD in India came from Khairbani in the Orissan Mayurbhanj district on August 12, 2019 followed by reports from Pataliputra. A case was reported on August 17, from Bhadrak district and the sickness was officially confirmed on November 16 of the same year.
LSD is a non-zoonotic, transboundary sickness that primarily affects ruminants, such as cattle and water buffaloes. The LSD virus can be propagated by biting flies (Stomoxys calcitrans and Biomyia fasciata), mosquitoes (Culex and Aedes natrionus) and other biting insects. Additional risk factors for the spread of LSD include a warm, humid agricultural climate, the introduction of new animals into herds, as well as community grazing and watering. The chief signs of the illness include fever, swollen lymph nodes, firm, restricted nodules in the skin, and nodules that are more noticeable in hairless areas. As they progressively recover from the severe illness, animals may develop pneumonia and mastitis, necrotic skin plugs that leave large holes in the hide. Overall, it lowers the economic value of animals since it affects their capacity to produce meat and milk, quality hides, draught strength and reproductive potential.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Agar gel immunodiffusion, western immunoblotting and indirect FAT (IFAT) are a few of the procedures used in serological diagnosis of LSD. The major drawback of serological assays is their inability to differentiate between antibodies produced by LSD Virus infection and those produced by other Poxviruses in infected and immunized animals or antibodies. Because serological tests are not practical or feasible for differentiating capripoxviruses, molecular diagnostic tests, such as gel-based PCR and real-time PCR, are the recommended and frequently used tests for laboratory diagnosis of LSDV and differentiation between wild-type LSDV and vaccine virus strains.
Differential diagnoses for LSDV include cutaneous TB, dermatophilosis, demodicosis, besnoitiosis, bovine herpes virus 2 infection and pseudo Lumpy skin disease.
Serological differentiation of the LSDV sheep pox and goat pox viruses, which constitute the capripoxvirus, is impossible due to their genetic similarities. As a result, heterologous vaccines based on SPV/GPV are frequently approved to produce cross protection against LSD in cattle in situations when homologous LSD immunization is not possible. The Indian government had approved for the use of the goat pox vaccine to protect cattle from LSD. The government had set a target to vaccinate the entire 30 crore cattle population. In August 2022, around 1.53 crore cattle were vaccinated with the goat pox vaccine, which was manufactured by two companies — Hester Biosciences Ltd and Indian Immunologicals Ltd.
However, heterologous vaccination offers only a limited level of protection and is less effective than homologous vaccination. The National Center for Veterinary Type Culture at the ICAR-National Research Center on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar (Haryana), and the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar (UP), created an identical live attenuated LSD vaccination known as Lumi-ProVacInd. In addition to offering 100% protection against a deadly LSDV challenge in cattle, Lumi-ProVacInd was proven to be safe in cattle and induce LSDV-specific antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses.
A Mini Review on Diagnosis and Treatment of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) Menace in Cattle in India
