Abstract

The aim: Cattle are naturally susceptible to a viral disease identified as lumpy skin disease (LSD), which has become a significant concern for the livestock industry in Libya since its first emergence in 2023, Originated from Africa and rapidly spread across the country, facilitated by the movement of animals both within Libya and from neighboring regions. Materials and methods: This investigation determined the molecular features and the phylogenetic analysis of LSD virus isolated from cattle from Al-Zawiya, Western Libya, utilizing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on 14 collected samples. The PCR analysis focused on detecting and amplifying specific viral DNA sequences to ascertain the presence and genetic profile of the LSD virus. Results: confirmed the presence of the LSD in 13 of 14 samples, with subsequent sequencing revealing distinct genetic markers characteristic of the virus strains in Libya. Conclusions: The findings also revealed that the LSDV responsible for these outbreaks was closely related to closely related to LSDV Sudan /06Obied_GU119938, LSDV Egypt/89_Ismalia_GU119947, and LSDV SERBIA/Buj/2016_KY702007. Additionally, the genetic analysis revealed that Libyan LSDV was unique among all LSDV isolates because of the additional SNP at position 111 (C->A), which may impact the success of the immunization process to control the disease.

Key words: Keywords: Lumpy skin disease; PCR; sequence; outbreak; Libya.