Molecular characterization of lumpy skin disease virus in Iran (2014-2018).

Lumpy skin disease was first reported in the western provinces of Iran in 2014, and this was followed by several outbreaks throughout the country. In this study, 10 Iranian lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) samples collected during the period of 2014-2018 were characterized by sequence analysis of the GPCR, LSDV142, and IL10LP genes. Sequence comparison of the respective genes revealed a close relationship between Iranian LSDV isolates and viruses from Asia and Europe. Interestingly, some nucleotide sequence diversity was also observed in the IL10LP genes of the Iranian field isolates.