Abstract
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important disease of cattle, considered as a threat to the livestock industry. This study aimed to assess the clinical symptoms, gross pathology and histopathology, serum biochemical values, and molecular characterization of LSD in cattle. Cattle in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, and Rangpur affected by LSD were initially diagnosed through clinical signs and gross lesions. Blood samples were then collected for biochemical analysis and molecular detection through PCR, and sequencing was performed to characterize the LSD virus (LSDV). The prevalence of LSD in northern areas of Bangladesh was 33.44%. The recorded clinical signs were high fever; firm, raised skin nodules around the head, neck, and limbs; swelling of the limbs and brisket area; and rough hair coat, nasal discharge, dyspnea, corneal opacity, and severe weakness. Grossly, a well-defined, hard swelling of around 1-3.00 cm in diameter in the skin accompanied enlargement of the nearby lymph nodes, and the nodules are composed of a hard, creamy-gray, or yellow clump of the tissue. Histopathologically, ballooning degeneration of the epidermal cell layers, intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies in distinct dermal and epidermal cells, necrosis with substantial infiltration of inflammatory cells, and congested blood vessels in the dermal layer were noted. While total protein, BUN, serum AST, and ALT were increased significantly (p < 0.05), the serum creatinine, GGT, and total albumin were not changed significantly compared with the healthy cattle. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the circulating isolates from northern part of Bangladesh were found in the same clades with India, Pakistan, and Thailand. Thus, this study provides crucial findings on this emerging disease, including its gross and histopathology, serum biochemical properties, and molecular epidemiology in the northern regions of Bangladesh.