Abstract:
Vaccines form the cornerstone of any control, eradication and preventative strategy and
this is no different for lumpy skin disease. However, the usefulness of a vaccine is determined by
a multiplicity of factors which include stability, efficiency, safety and ease of use, to name a few.
Although the vaccination campaign in the Balkans against lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) was
successful and has been implemented with success in the past in other countries, data of vaccine
failure have also been reported. It was therefore the purpose of this study to compare five homologous
live attenuated LSDV vaccines (LSDV LAV) in a standardized setting. All five LSDV LAVs studied
were able to protect against a challenge with virulent LSDV. Aside from small differences in serological
responses, important differences were seen in side effects such as a local reaction and a Neethling
response upon vaccination between the analyzed vaccines. These observations can have important
implications in the applicability in the field for some of these LSDV LAVs.
