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

Abstract

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. The understanding of its epidemiology in hemiboreal climates is not well understood and needs urgent attention to expand the current knowledge. In this study, the epidemiological findings on LSD in Russia over a 6‐year period are summarized and discussed. A total of 471 outbreaks were identified spanning over a 9000 km range. The outbreaks of LSD occur primarily in small holder farms (backyard) compared to commercial farms between mid‐May through mid‐November including weather conditions with snow and freezing temperatures that preclude vector activity. Mortality and morbidity varied across the 6 years ranging from 1.19% to 61.8% and 0% to 50%, respectively, with a tendency to decline from 2015 to 2020. The geographic pattern of spread was assessed by means of directionality, indicating a northward movement from 2015 to 2016, with a consequent East turn in 2017 through Siberia to the Far East by 2020. All cases occurred along the border with Kazakhstan. Mathematical modelling showed that the disease tended to form statistically verified annual spatiotemporal clusters in 2016–2018, whereas in 2019 and 2020 such segregation was not evident. The trend of spread was mainly either from south to north or from south to a north‐east direction.

Retrospective genomic analysis of the first Lumpy skin disease virus outbreak in China (2019)

“…LSD is a severe systemic disease that was first reported in China 3 years ago, and it has severely impacted the cattlebreeding industry and brought significant economic losses to the affected areas (11). Before and after it, LSD outbreaks had occurred in several Eurasian countries, including Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Russia, India, and South Korea, and affected cattle, Korean water deer, and giraffe (4,(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36), indicating a wave of highly contagious epidemic. Here we present the genomic characterization of the virulent strain of LSDV, together with its homologous viruses that were subsequently discovered in China and Vietnam.…”

Lumpy Skin Disease: A Comprehensive Review on Virus Biology, Pathogenesis, and Sudden Global Emergence

“…LSD was introduced in the Balkans and certain regions of the European continent in late 2014, primarily through Turkey, which functions as a connecting link between the Eurasian continents (Figure 2). Also, the virus first surfaced in Russia in 2015, resulting in over 471 outbreaks over six years, followed by a gradual decline by 2020 (Byadovskaya et al, 2022). In addition to Kazakhstan, Armenia, Russia, Georgia, and Saudi Arabia, LSDV was also reported in multiple clusters across South-Eastern European nations such as Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, andSerbia, in 2016 (Lojkic et al, 2018).…”

Experimentally controlled study indicates that the naturally occurring recombinant vaccine-like lumpy skin disease strain Udmurtiya/2019, detected during freezing winter in northern latitudes, is transmitted via indirect contact

“…The first reports of LSD in the Balkan countries, Greece, and Russia were between 2015 and 2016 ( 4 ). The Russian Federation (RF) reported annual LSD outbreaks from 2015 to 2020, with a dramatic shift in the LSDV strains responsible for these outbreaks ( 5 ). Since 2019, China, India and other counties of South Asia have been affected by LSDV ( 6 , 7 ).…”

“…Since the isolation of Saratov/2017, all LSD outbreaks in the RF were due to novel recombinant vaccine-like strains ( 5 ). Outbreaks have been reported to occur below freezing temperatures, thus inhibiting the optimal flight activity of the insects previously identified in the temperate climate of the RF ( 5 ).…”

“…Since the isolation of Saratov/2017, all LSD outbreaks in the RF were due to novel recombinant vaccine-like strains ( 5 ). Outbreaks have been reported to occur below freezing temperatures, thus inhibiting the optimal flight activity of the insects previously identified in the temperate climate of the RF ( 5 ). An outbreak of LSD detected during the freezing winter in the Republic of Udmurtiya in the RF, provided additional support for potential alternative modes of LSDV transmission in addition to vector-borne transmission ( 21 ).…”