A study of the pathology of lumpy skin disease in cattle

Microscopic lesions in cattle infected with the virus of the Neethling form of lumpy skin disease comprised a granulomatous reaction in the dermis and hypodermis which extended to the surrounding tissue. During the early stages of the lesions a vasculitis and lymphangitis with concomitant thrombosis and infarction resulted in necrosis and oedema. A hallmark of the acute to subacute stages of the lesions was the presence of intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusions in various cell types. The inclusions consisted of the viroplasm which was identified as aggregates of electron-dense, finely granular to fibrillar deposits in which membrane-enclosed virions and occasional groups of tubular structures were observed. Various cytopathogenic changes were observed in cells exhibiting viral proliferation. The morphogenesis of the virions is discussed in relation to the cytopathogenic changes.