First Report of Lumpy Skin Disease in Myanmar and Molecular Analysis of the Field Virus Isolates

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) causes lumpy skin disease in cattle and buffaloes, which is associated with significant animal production and economic losses. Since the 2000s, LSDV has spread from Africa to several countries in the Middle East; Europe; and Asia; including, more recently, several south-east Asian countries. In November 2020, Myanmar reported its first LSD outbreak. This study reports on the first incursion of LSD in Myanmar and the molecular analysis of the LSDV detected. Staff from the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation collected samples from cattle with suspected LSD infection. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations’ Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) and the Joint International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)/FAO program’s Animal Health and Production laboratory provided LSDV diagnostic support to two regional veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Myanmar. Samples from 13 cattle tested positive by real-time PCR. Selected samples underwent sequence analysis in IAEA laboratories. The results show that the Myanmar LSDV sequences clustered with LSDV isolates from Bangladesh and India, LSDV Kenya, and LSDV NI-2490. Further characterization showed that the Myanmar LSDV is 100% identical to isolates from Bangladesh and India, implying a common source of introduction. These findings inform diagnosis and development of control strategies.

Rapid Spread and Genetic Characterisation of a Recently Emerged Recombinant Lumpy Skin Disease Virus in Thailand

“…LSD has been found in the Middle East since 2012 [ 9 ] and in Southeast Europe and North Caucasus since 2015 [ 10 , 11 ]. In 2019, the disease was identified in Bangladesh, India, and China before spreading to other regions of Asia including Vietnam and Myanmar in 2020 [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The disease is transmitted predominantly by bloodsucking insects such as stable flies, ticks, and mosquitoes [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Lumpy Skin Disease Outbreaks in Africa, Europe, and Asia (2005–2022): Multiple Change Point Analysis and Time Series Forecast

“…It is notable that LSDV isolates from outbreaks in some countries are genetically related [ 22 , 62 , 63 ]; therefore, international cooperation is critical to develop regional surveillance for monitoring, controlling, and preventing disease incursion. Such collaboration should also include sharing data regarding LSD outbreaks in each nation, such as epidemiological data and LSDV genetic information.…”

“…In 2016, numerous LSD outbreaks were found in southeast Europe. During 2019 to 2020, the disease became prevalent in many countries in Asia [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Currently, the disease is considered a major threat to the cattle industry and the livelihoods of cattle farmers in many regions of Asia.…”

Genomic characterization of Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV) from 2019 outbreak in India reveals circulation of Kenyan-like LSDV strains with unique kelch-like proteins

“…Earlier reports based on EEV glycoprotein (LSD_126), RPO30, and GPCR (LSD_011) genes showed high similarity to Kenyan LSDV strains (Sudhakar et al, 2022). Identical to Indian strains, LSDV strains from Bangladesh (Badhy et al, 2021), Nepal (Koirala et al, 2022), and Myanmar (Maw et al, 2022), showed a high resemblance to Kenyan LSDV strains based on EEV glycoprotein, RPO30, and GPCR genes indicating the common source of infection through illegal trade of biologicals, animal products or animals. LSDV strains from Vietnam, Thailand, China, and Russia are not related to Kenyan strains but instead are recombinant strains.…”

“…The disease was originally described in Zambia in 1929, later spreading to South Africa and Kenya. Initially, the disease was contained to Africa and the Middle East (Davies, 1982), later spreading to Europe followed by outbreaks in several Asian countries including India (Sudhakar et al, 2019), Nepal (Acharya and Subedi, 2020), Bangladesh (Hasib et al, 2021), Vietnam (Tran et al, 2021), Thailand (Arjkumpa et al, 2021), Myanmar (Maw et al, 2022), China (Lu et al, 2021), and Hongkong (Flannery et al, 2021) has raised serious concerns. The clinical manifestations of lumpy skin disease include pyrexia, characteristic nodules on different body parts, lymphadenopathy, drop in milk production, weight loss, infertility, abortion, and sometimes death (Tuppurainen et al, 2017).…”