Tracking the virus behind India's lumpy skin cattle crisis

Published 2024년 4월 2일

Tridge summary

In May 2022, India experienced a devastating outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSDV), resulting in the death of approximately 100,000 cows and significant economic losses. A study published in BMC Genomics by a multi-institutional team, including researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, investigated the outbreak through whole-genome sequencing of infected cattle. They identified two distinct LSDV variants in India, one of which had a high number of genetic variations and resembled strains from a 2015 outbreak in Russia. This study, led by Priya Yadav, highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between veterinary experts and scientific institutions in tracing the virus's variants and understanding the disease better. The findings, revealing over 1,800 genetic variations, including in critical viral genes, could help in developing improved diagnostics, vaccines, and interventions for LSDV and other infectious diseases threatening livestock.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

In May 2022, cattle across India began dying of a mysterious illness. Since then, about 1,00,000 cows have lost their lives to a devastating outbreak of what scientists have identified as lumpy skin disease. The outbreak has severely affected India's agricultural sector, leading to staggering economic losses."It was a calamity in some ways … a national emergency," says Utpal Tatu, Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc).Tatu is part of a multi-institutional team that decided to probe the cause of the outbreak. Their study, published in BMC Genomics, provides critical insights into the evolution and origins of the virus strains fueling it.A viral infection caused by the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV), the disease is transmitted by insects such as flies and mosquitoes. It causes fever and skin nodules, and can be fatal for cattle. LSDV was first found in Zambia in 1931 and remained confined to the Sub-African region until 1989, after which it ...

Source: Phys