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Lumpy Skin disease (LSD) is an economically important disease in cattle caused by the LSD virus (LSDV) of the genus Capripoxvirus, while pseudocowpox (PCP) is a widely distributed zoonotic cattle disease caused by the PCP virus (PCPV) of the genus Parapoxvirus. Though both viral pox infections are reportedly present in Nigeria, similarities in their clinical presentation and limited access to laboratories often lead to misdiagnosis in the field. This study investigated suspected LSD outbreaks in organized and transhumance cattle herds in Nigeria in 2020. A total of 42 scab/skin biopsy samples were collected from 16 outbreaks of suspected LSD in five northern States of Nigeria. The samples were analyzed using a high-resolution multiplex melting (HRM) assay to differentiate poxviruses belonging to Orthopoxvirus, Capripoxvirus, and Parapoxvirus genera. LSDV was characterized using four gene segments, namely the RNA polymerase 30 kDa subunit (RPO30), G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), the extracellular enveloped virus (EEV) glycoprotein and CaPV homolog of the variola virus B22R. Likewise, the partial B2L gene of PCPV was also analyzed. Nineteen samples (45.2%) were positive according to the HRM assay for LSDV, and five (11.9%) were co-infected with LSDV and PCPV. The multiple sequence alignments of the GPCR, EEV, and B22R showed 100% similarity among the Nigerian LSDV samples, unlike the RPO30 phylogeny, which showed two clusters. Some of the Nigerian LSDVs clustered within LSDV SG II were with commonly circulating LSDV field isolates in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, while the remaining Nigerian LSDVs produced a unique sub-group. The B2L sequences of Nigerian PCPVs were 100% identical and clustered within the PCPV group containing cattle/Reindeer isolates, close to PCPVs from Zambia and Botswana. The results show the diversity of Nigerian LSDV strains. This paper also reports the first documented co-infection of LSDV and PCPV in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous scabs were seen on the nares and shanks in three grower turkeys in a mixed turkey-chicken flock in Langtang-north LGA of Plateau State, Nigeria. A chicken in the flock had diphtheritic membrane covering the mucous membranes of the oro-pharynx and the turkeys had cutaneous pox lesions on the nares and shank. Fowlpox virus infection was diagnosed by gross and histopathology and confirmed by isolation of the virus in chorioallantoic membrane of 9-12 weeks chicken embryonating eggs. The DNA of Fowl Pox Virus (FPV) was detected in the cutaneous scabs of the turkey and chicken using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) which amplified a 578 base pairs fragment of the 4b core protein gene. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the fowlpox virus responsible for this infection clustered with the sublineage A1 genotype of clade A of fowlpox virus and shares 98% homology with the vaccine strain produced in Nigeria. The sequence has been deposited in the GenBank under the accession number MK435242. Our results confirmed the presence of FPV in the turkeys and suggest a predisposition by the chickens. We therefore suggest vaccination for small holder poultry to mitigate against mortality in turkeys and chickens and molecular epidemiology of fowlpox viruses in Nigeria to unravel viral evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]