Isolation of lumpy skin disease virus from cattle in and around Kombolcha and Dessie, north eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

In November there were reports on Lumpy Skin Disease from 2 different areas of Kombolcha (one intensive dairy farm) and Hayke (small holders). Therefore, Lumpy Skin Disease Outbreak Investigation was conducted from November 2015 to April 2016 on a total 194 local zebu and cross breeds of cattle. Thus, we observed as animals were asymptomatically diseased. The sampling method was purposive and a skin nodular tissue samples were taken from 11 from both breeds in order to isolate the field strain of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus circulating in and around Kombolcha and Dessie and accessing outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease in the area. The commonly observed clinical signs in the outbreak during the study period were fever, circumscribed nodules on the skin with different size, necrotic nodules and deep scab formation, edematous swelling of legs, enlargement of superficial lymph nodes, Lameness and enlargement of superficial lymph node. The questionnaire survey indicated as there was high incidence of the disease in wet seasons than dry seasons and protective level of the vaccine became low in the study area. Tissue samples were collected and virus was isolated on Vero cells. Furthermore, the isolated virus was identified by conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction and Real time Polymerase Chain Reaction technique which is more sensitive molecular advanced technique for diagnosis of Capripox virus. In conclusion as complained by the owners and during field examination, Lumpy Skin Disease was found to be a serious disease in the study area. So, further investigation is needed on identification of the causative agents and Molecular characterization of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus and risk factors of the disease in South Wollo Zone.

Keywords: Cattle, Dessie and Kombolcha, LSD, LSDV, PCR