The genome sequence of lumpy skin disease virus from an outbreak in India suggests a distinct lineage of the virus.

Although previously confined to regions within Africa, lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) infections have caused significantly large outbreaks in several regions of the world in recent years. In 2019, an outbreak of the disease was reported in India with low rates of morbidity and no reported mortality. However, in 2022, an ongoing outbreak of LSDV spanning over seven states in India resulted in the loss of over 80,000 cattle over a period of three months. Here, we report complete genome sequences of six isolates of LSDV collected from affected cattle during an ongoing outbreak of the disease in Rajasthan, India. Analysis of these sequences showed that the genome isolates from the 2022 outbreak have a large number of genetic variations compared to the reference strain and that they form a distinct genetic lineage. This report thus highlights the importance of genome sequencing and surveillance of transboundary infectious agents to track the prevalence and emergence of variants.

Protocol for next-generation sequencing of the LSD virus genome using an amplicon-based approach.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease predominantly affecting cattle caused by a poxvirus belonging to the capripoxvirus genus. Here, we present a protocol for next-generation sequencing of the LSD virus genome using an amplicon-based approach. We describe steps for DNA extraction, viral DNA enrichment, amplicon pooling and purification, and library preparation and pooling. We then detail procedures for sequencing and computational analysis. This protocol can be adapted to any Illumina sequencing platform as an accelerated and scalable system. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Bhatt et al.1,2.