Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers, who are part of a multi-institutional team probing the cause of the outbreak of the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) which resulted in the death of about one lakh cows, have found two distinct LSDV variants circulating in India.
To investigate the current outbreak, the team collected skin nodules, blood, and nasal swabs from infected cattle in various States, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka, in collaboration with veterinary institutes. They performed advanced whole-genome sequencing of DNA extracted from 22 samples.
According to IISc, their genomic analysis revealed two distinct LSDV variants circulating in India, one with a low number of genetic variations and another with a high number of genetic variations.
