A Recombinant Vaccine-like Strain of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Causes Low-Level Infection of Cattle through Virus-Inoculated Feed.

Since 1989, lumpy skin disease of cattle (LSD) has spread out of Africa via the Middle East northwards and eastwards into Russia, the Far East and South-East Asia. It is now threatening to become a worldwide pandemic, with Australia possibly next in its path. One of the research gaps on the disease concerns its main mode of transmission, most likely via flying insect vectors such as biting flies or mosquitoes.

Phylogenetic analysis of lumpy skin disease virus isolates in Russia in 2019-2021.

Lumpy skin disease continues to pose a threat to countries in the East and Asia-Pacific regions. Although only occasional LSDV outbreaks have been reported recently in Russia, these have been mainly restricted to the Far East region of the country. An increase in the number of outbreaks in South East Asia has been attributed to recombinant vaccine-like LSDV strains.

An in-depth bioinformatic analysis of the novel recombinant lumpy skin disease virus strains: from unique patterns to established lineage.

Background: Since the first description of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) in Africa in the 1920's, it has brazenly spread beyond Africa into the Middle East, Europe and most recently Asia. In 2017 the first atypical LSDV recombinant strain was reported in Russia, composed of both a live-attenuated Neethling vaccine strain and Kenyan vaccine strain. An increase in LSDV research enabled a public release of numerous full genome sequences of unique recombinant LSDV strains from Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Vietnam.

The changing epidemiology of lumpy skin disease in Russia since the first introduction from 2015 to 2020.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important transboundary disease affecting cattle, causing large economic losses such as decreased production and trade restrictions. LSD has been a historically neglected disease since it previously caused disease limited to the African continent. Currently, the epidemiology of LSD virus is based on how the disease is transmitted in tropical and sub-tropical climates.

Molecular characterization of a novel recombinant lumpy skin disease virus isolated during an outbreak in Tyumen, Russia, in 2019.

Lumpy skin disease virus causes a debilitating pox disease of domesticated cattle and water buffalos. In the last decade, LSDV has spread from Africa into the Middle East, Europe and most recently Asia. As of 2017, atypical outbreaks caused by novel LSDV strains were reported in Russia, followed by China and Vietnam between 2018 and 2020.

Overwintering of recombinant lumpy skin disease virus in northern latitudes, Russia.

Lumpy skin disease is an emerging transboundary infection demonstrating a great range expansion worldwide recently. With many knowledge gaps, there is a lack of understanding how lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), including naturally occurring vaccine-like LSDV, is capable of surviving under different climatic conditions. In this study, we describe a recombinant vaccine-like LSDV from an outbreak in Saratov region of Russia in 2019, where the first recombinant Saratov/2017 was documented.

Spatio-temporal cluster analysis and transmission drivers for Peste des Petits Ruminants in Uganda.

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a transboundary, highly contagious, and fatal disease of small ruminants. PPR causes global annual economic losses of between USD 1.5 and 2.

Spatial patterns of West Nile virus distribution in the Volgograd region of Russia, a territory with long-existing foci.

Southern Russia remains affected by West Nile virus (WNV). In the current study, we identified the spatial determinants of WNV distribution in an area with endemic virus transmission, with special reference to the urban settings, by mapping probable points of human infection acquisition and points of virus detection in mosquitoes, ticks, birds, and mammals during 1999-2016. The suitability of thermal conditions for extrinsic virus replication was assessed based on the approach of degree-day summation and their changes were estimated by linear trend analysis.

Estimating evolutionary changes between highly passaged and original parental lumpy skin disease virus strains.

Research into the phylogenetic relationships of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) strains was long overlooked, partially due to its original restricted distribution to sub-Saharan Africa. However, recent incursions into northern latitudes, and a rapid spread causing major economic losses worldwide, have intensified additional research on the disease and the causative virus. This study delineates the phylogeny of LSDV in the context of full genome sequences of strains recovered in the field, as well as strains highly passaged in cell culture.

Risk Factors of African Swine Fever in Domestic Pigs of the Samara Region, Russian Federation.

African swine fever (ASF) is an incurable viral disease of domestic and wild pigs. A large-scale spread of ASF began in Eurasia in 2007 and has affected territories from Belgium to the Far East, occurring as both local- and regional-level epidemics. In 2020, a massive ASF epidemic emerged in the southeastern region of European Russia in the Samara Oblast and included 41 outbreaks of ASF in domestic pigs and 40 cases in wild boar.

African Swine Fever in the Russian Far East (2019-2020): Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Implications for Wild Ungulates.

African swine fever (ASF) is an emerging viral contagious disease affecting domestic pigs (DP) and wild boar (WB). ASF causes significant economic damage to the pig industry worldwide due to nearly 100% mortality and the absence of medical treatments. Since 2019, an intensive spread of ASF has been observed in the Russian Far East region.

Mapping the risks of the spread of peste des petits ruminants in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a viral transboundary disease seen in small ruminants, that causes significant damage to agriculture. This disease has not been previously registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK). This paper presents an assessment of the susceptibility of the RK's territory to the spread of the disease in the event of its importation from infected countries.

Ecological and Socio-Economic Determinants of Livestock Animal Leptospirosis in the Russian Arctic.

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus . Regional differences in the disease manifestation and the role of ecological factors, specifically in regions with a subarctic and arctic climate, remain poorly understood. We here explored environmental and socio-economic features associated with leptospirosis cases in livestock animals in the Russian Arctic during 2000-2019.

Performance of the currently available DIVA real-time PCR assays in classical and recombinant lumpy skin disease viruses.

The use of live homologous vaccines to protect against lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infection requires the use of molecular tools to differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). In this study, the commercial real-time PCR assays; ID Gene™ LSD DIVA Triplex kit and Bio-T kit LSD - DIVA, as well as published assays targeting the GPCR gene (Journal of Virological Methods, 249, 48-57) and ORF008 and ORF126 (Sel'skokhozyaistvennaya Biologiya, 54, 347-358) were evaluated. These assays correctly identified classical field isolates (European lineage) and vaccine (Neethling vaccine).

A lumpy skin disease virus which underwent a recombination event demonstrates more aggressive growth in primary cells and cattle than the classical field isolate.

Genomic changes by recombination have been recently observed in lumpy skin disease viruses circulating in Russia. The first characterized naturally occurring recombinant lumpy skin disease virus Saratov/2017 occurred through recombination between a live attenuated virus vaccine and the Southern African lumpy skin disease virus. Understanding if recombination can increase or decrease virulence of viruses through changes in different gene regions is required to improve the understanding of capripoxvirus biology.

Full-length genome characterization of a novel recombinant vaccine-like lumpy skin disease virus strain detected during the climatic winter in Russia, 2019.

An uncharacteristic outbreak of lumpy skin disease was reported in the Republic of Udmurtiya, Russia, during the climatic winter of March 2019. The causative lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV_Udmurtiya_Russia_2019) was shown to be a recombinant composed of a live attenuated Neethling-type vaccine strain as the dominant parental strain and a Kenyan KSGP/NI-2490-like virus as its minor parental strain, with 24 statistically significant recombination events that are not identical to those in LSDV Saratov/2017, in which 27 events were identified.

Environmental Risk of Leptospirosis in Animals: The Case of The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic natural focal disease caused by the pathogenic bacteria Leptospira. Its spread is related to certain ecological factors. The aim of the current research was to assess potential exposure to the infection as a function of environmental determinants in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation.

Evidence of recombination of vaccine strains of lumpy skin disease virus with field strains, causing disease.

Vaccination against lumpy skin disease (LSD) is crucial for maintaining the health of animals and the economic sustainability of farming. Either homologous vaccines consisting of live attenuated LSD virus (LSDV) or heterologous vaccines consisting of live attenuated sheeppox or goatpox virus (SPPV/GPPV) can be used for control of LSDV. Although SPPV/GTPV-based vaccines exhibit slightly lower efficacy than live attenuated LSDV vaccines, they do not cause vaccine-induced viremia, fever, and clinical symptoms of the disease following vaccination, caused by the replication capacity of live attenuated LSDVs.

Non-vector-borne transmission of lumpy skin disease virus.

The transmission of "lumpy skin disease virus" (LSDV) has prompted intensive research efforts due to the rapid spread and high impact of the disease in recent years, especially in Eastern Europe and Balkan countries. In this study, we experimentally evaluate the vaccine-derived virulent recombinant LSDV strain (Saratov/2017) and provide solid evidence on the capacity of the virus for transmission in a vector-proof environment. In the 60-day long experiment, we used inoculated bulls (IN group) and two groups of in-contact animals (C1 and C2), with the former (C1) being in contact with the inoculated animals at the onset of the trial and the latter (C2) being introduced at day 33 of the experiment.

Re-introduction of vivax malaria in a temperate area (Moscow region, Russia): a geographic investigation.

Background: Between 1999 and 2008 Russia experienced a flare-up of transmission of vivax malaria following its massive importation with more than 500 autochthonous cases in European Russia, the Moscow region being the most affected. The outbreak waned soon after a decrease in importation in mid-2000s and strengthening the control measures. Compared with other post-eradication epidemics in Europe this one was unprecedented by its extension and duration.

A Long-Term Study of the Biological Properties of ASF Virus Isolates Originating from Various Regions of the Russian Federation in 2013-2018.

Biological properties of the African swine fever (ASF) virus isolates originating from various regions of the Russian Federation (2013-2018) were studied in a series of experimental infections. Comparative analysis allowed us to establish the differences in the key characteristics of the infection, such us the duration of the incubation periods, disease, and the onset of death. The incubation period averaged 4.

A real-time PCR screening assay for the universal detection of lumpy skin disease virus DNA.

Objective: The resurgence of lumpy skin disease virus isolates of different genotypic natures abolishes the accuracy of assays that target either vaccine or field strain genome. The aim of the present study was to develop a universal real-time PCR assay using TaqMan chemistry to cover field, vaccine, and recombinant strains of lumpy skin disease virus isolates.

Results: The PCR assay was designed based on a LSDV044 target region that offers a unique identification locus to facilitate the sensitive and specific detection of all isolates known to date.

Transmission of lumpy skin disease virus: A short review.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral transboundary disease endemic throughout Africa and of high economic importance that affects cattle and domestic water buffaloes. Since 2012, the disease has spread rapidly and widely throughout the Middle Eastern and Balkan regions, southern Caucasus and parts of the Russian Federation. Before vaccination campaigns took their full effect, the disease continued spreading from region to region, mainly showing seasonal patterns despite implementing control and eradication measures.