Overwintering of recombinant lumpy skin disease virus in northern latitudes, Russia

Lumpy skin disease is an emerging transboundary infection demonstrating a great range expansion worldwide recently. With many knowledge gaps, there is a lack of understanding how lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), including naturally occurring vaccine-like LSDV, is capable of surviving under different climatic conditions. In this study, we describe a recombinant vaccine-like LSDV from an outbreak in Saratov region of Russia in 2019, where the first recombinant Saratov/2017 was documented. Although the two isolates were two years apart, Saratov/2019 seems to be clonally derived from Saratov/2017 with accrual of mutations characteristic of circulating under selective conditions. The obtained findings demonstrate the persistence of LSDV during winter and successful overwintering in in cold climate, necessitating an objective need for deeper research into LSDV biology.