Determination of the optimal immunizing dose of heterologous goat pox virus vaccine (Poxviridae: Chordopoxvirinae: Capripoxvirus) against lumpy skin disease

Introduction. Lumpy skin disease (LSD), sheep pox and goat pox are dangerous diseases of domestic ruminants. Representatives of the genus of capripoxviruses are antigenically similar and can be used as a vaccine for three infections, as in the case of representatives of the genus of orthopoxviruses, which includes viruses of smallpox, monkeypox, and cowpox, that all belong to a single family Poxviridae.

Materials and methods. In this study, the vaccine strain G₂₀-LKV of the goat pox virus and the virulent strain RIBSP-2019/K of the LSD virus were used. The experiments were carried out on clinically healthy cattle of the Kazakh White-headed breed, aged six to eight months. Virological and serological research methods were used in the work.

Results. All immunized animals that received different doses of the vaccine showed resistance to the infection challenge, without showing any clinical signs of the disease. In animals that received the lowest doses of the vaccine 15,000, 30,000 and 40,000 TCID₅₀, no adverse events, skin and temperature reactions were observed at the injection site. Those vaccinated with high doses of the vaccine had a local reaction in the form of swelling at the site of vaccine administration. Control animals infected with a virulent virus showed clinical signs of the cattle lumpy skin disease .

Conclusion. The vaccine, prepared based on the “G₂₀-LKV” strain of the goat virus, is protective for cattle against infection with a virulent LSD virus at immunizing doses from 15,000 to 80,000 TCID₅₀, which are dependent on the LSD epizootic situation in particular region.