DefinePK

Abstract

Lumpy skin disease (LSD), which belongs to the Capripoxvirus genus, is an infection that has caused serious economic losses in the leather industry. The first reported outbreak of LSD occurred in Africa, 1929. Shortly thereafter, it spread to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The virus produces nodules that arise primarily on the skin of infected cattle, buffalo, and wild ruminants. The aim of the present study was to perform a pathological evaluation and molecular characterization of LSD by using specimens collected from cattle that had been killed by the disease in Erzurum, Turkey. Skin nodules from four different cattle were collected from two different regions in the central part of Erzurum. These samples were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histopathological methods. Virological test results revealed that the virus is a member of the Capripoxvirus genus. Therefore, the present study provides epidemiological data about the LSD infection in Erzurum and contributes further information about the infection’s current status.