Molecular confirmation of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) in cattle’s blood and skin at some slaughterhouses in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq

The present study involved 63 cattle having different skin lesions, suspected to be infected with LSDV. The studied animals, in some slaughterhouses in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq, were submitted for collecting of blood samples and skin biopsies that sectioned from cutaneous lesions in post-slaughter stage. The samples were transported to the laboratory for extracting of DNA to examine using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to confirm the positive LSDV isolates. The results revealed that 26.98 and 65.08% of cattle were positives by PCR testing for blood and skin biopsies, respectively. In association to gender, the females had higher prevalence rates of LSDV, 32.35 and 79.41%, in comparison to males that having 20.69 and 48.28% by examining of blood and skin biopsies samples, respectively. Regarding age, a significant increase was found in the positive results of LSDV infections for testing of blood and skin samples, respectively, in >3 years group 28.85 and 71.15%, whereas, they were 18.18 and 36.36% in 1-3 years group.