Molecular characterization of lumpy skin disease virus during the first outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Northern Himalayas, India.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly contagious and fatal transboundary viral disease of cattle and water buffaloes caused by the Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV) which belongs to the genus Capripoxvirus of the Poxviridae family. The disease causes huge economic impact and has been listed as a notifiable disease by World Organization for Animal Health. We present the molecular epidemiology of an LSD outbreak, the first-ever outbreak of the disease in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir, India; a region lying in Northern Himalayas. During the outbreak, 1661 samples were collected from clinically affected, in-contact cattle as well as apparently healthy animals and screened for LSDV by qPCR. From these 1661 samples, 643 (38.7%) were found positive. Five LSDV-positive samples were randomly selected and the GPCR gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced. A 12-nucleotide deletion was observed in the GPCR gene when compared to the 2019 Indian LSDV isolate from Odhisa, India. Based on the data obtained by qPCR analysis, the occurrence of LSD was determined with respect to the age, sex and breed of the animals. Furthermore, ticks collected from the affected animals and flies on the farm were identified and were found positive for LSDV.