Lumpy Skin Virus; Herpesviridae Inevitable Synergism

Abstract

Background: Lumpy skin virus causes huge economic losses in farm animals. Herpesviridae are opportunistic and showed synergistic role but worsen disease symptoms. By using TEM & negative staining one avoid the problematic concerns of differential diagnosis.Materials and Methods: Cutaneous crusts collected from infected cattle, samples examined directly by the electron microscopy, then confirmed by the Conventional Polymerase Chain Reaction and partially sequenced by ORF103 gene.Results: This study reveals that the source of infection was not related to the vaccines. It turns out to be a natural infection by Lumpy skin disease virus isolate Evros / GR/15 and 99% identity. A comparison of the gene sequence of the vaccine against the virus showed significant divergence between them. Negative staining electron microscopy reveals Lumpy skin disease virus & Herpes viruses in different sizes and forms. Herpesviridae members were contaminating LSD lesions as TEM reveals the presence of different herpes types. Conclusions: LSD virus of cattle showed virulent nature in natural outbreak. However, the herpes viruses invade infected tissues and propagate inside cells of lumps that revealed its opportunistic behavior. Consequently; Antivirals against Herpesviridae would theoretically relief lumpy skin disease symptoms and help in control efforts.