Genomic characterization of Lumpy Skin Disease virus (LSDV) from India: Circulation of Kenyan-like LSDV strains with unique kelch-like proteins.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important poxviral disease endemic to Asia, Europe, and Africa. Recently, LSD has spread to naïve countries, including India, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand. Here, we describe the complete genomic characterization of LSDV from India, LSDV-WB/IND/19 isolated from an LSD affected calf in 2019 determined by Illumina next-generation sequencing (NGS). The LSDV-WB/IND/19 has a genome size of 150,969 bp encoding 156 putative ORFs. Phylogenetic analysis based on complete genome sequence suggested that LSDV-WB/IND/19 is closely related to Kenyan LSDV strains with 10-12 variants with non-synonymous changes confined to LSD_019, LSD_049, LSD_089, LSD_094, LSD_096, LSD_140, and LSD_144 genes. In contrast to complete kelch-like proteins in Kenyan LSDV strains, LSDV-WB/IND/19 LSD_019 and LSD_144 genes were found to encode truncated versions (019a, 019b, and 144a, 144b). LSD_019a and LSD_019b proteins of LSDV-WB/IND/19 resemble that of wild-type LSDV strains based on SNPs and the C-terminal part of LSD_019b except for deletion at K229, whereas the LSD_144a and LSD_144b proteins resemble that of Kenyan LSDV strains based on SNPs, however, C-terminal part of LSD_144a resembles that of vaccine-associated LSDV strains due to premature truncation. The NGS findings were confirmed by Sanger sequencing of these genes in Vero cell isolate as well as in the original skin scab along with similar findings in another Indian LSDV from scab specimen. LSD_019 and LSD_144 genes are thought to modulate virulence and host range in capripoxviruses. This study demonstrates the circulation of unique LSDV strains in India and highlights the importance of constant monitoring of the molecular evolution of LSDV and associated factors in the region in light of the emergence of recombinant LSDV strains.

Isolation and characterization of BoHV-1 from seropositive cows after inducing artificial stress in West Bengal, India.

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (BoHV-1) is the most important emerging disease of cattle in India. With an aim to reactivate BoHV-1 from latently infected sero-positive cattle for molecular characteristics of the isolates prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical countries like India and further epidemiological investigations on IBR infections this study had been conducted. Artificial stress with dexamethasone at the dose rate of 0.1 mg kg(-1) body weight for 5 consecutive days was induced in BoHV-1 sero-positive cows. Then isolation from nasal swabs was attempted in Madin Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell line to find out the prevalent strain in India. The virus was isolated from all the three cows. All the three isolates were typed as BoHV-1.2 (Strain India 4, India 5 and India 6). The reactivation obtained in this study with dexamethasone suggests the usefulness of BoHV-1 cow latency model for epidemiological investigations on BoHV-1 infections in tropical and sub-tropical countries like India, Pakistan etc.