Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is one of the major threats of cattle stock industry in Egypt.
There is much confusion in laboratory diagnosis of lumpy skin disease. Specific lumpy
skin disease virus (LSDV) primers were used in polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR)
on field samples of skin biopsies and EDTA blood from clinically infected cattle located
in Ismaillia, Egypt to assess their efficiency for LSD diagnosis. The specificity of the
primers was confirmed by using other Capripox viruses (CaPVs) such as vaccinal strain
of sheep poxvirus (SPPV) and local adapted tissue culture LSDV (Ismaillia 88). Specific
LSDV primers were successfully and specifically detected the LSDV in 100% of skin
biopsies and 40% of EDTA blood samples and did not able to detect SPPV. Therefore,
specific PCR is a valuable technique for accurate diagnosis of LSD without any
confusion with other related viruses and differentiate LSDV from SPPV and must be
used as routine diagnostic test for LSD. Detection of LSDV in field samples by using
PCR and Dot blot hybridization (DBH) were compared. The results revealed that both
PCR and DBH detected LSDV in 100% skin biopsies while detection rates in EDTA
blood were 40% and 30% using PCR and DBH respectively. |
