Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) RT-PCR
Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) RT-PCR is a test that looks for the DNA of lumpy skin disease virus in skin lumps, scabs, swabs or blood of cows and buffaloes. It is commonly used to help confirm lumpy skin disease.
- Sample
- Skin nodule, scab, swab or EDTA blood
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) DNA - the genetic material of the virus that causes LSD
- Virus in skin lumps (nodules), scabs or swabs, which usually carry the most virus
- Virus in EDTA blood, most useful early in the illness while the animal has a fever
Benefits of this test
- Looks for the virus itself, which can help confirm lumpy skin disease.
- Works on skin lumps, scabs, swabs or blood.
- Helps your vet tell LSD apart from other skin problems that look similar.
- Gives your vet and the animal husbandry department laboratory information for their decisions.
- Can be used along with an antibody test when your vet needs a fuller herd picture.
When your vet may advise it
- Fever followed by firm round lumps on the skin of a cow or buffalo.
- Swollen glands, watery eyes and nose, and swollen legs along with skin lumps.
- A sudden drop in milk with fever and skin lumps in the herd.
- Several animals in a village or herd showing skin lumps at the same time.
- When your vet or the animal husbandry department asks for laboratory confirmation.
About this test
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a virus disease of cows and buffaloes. It causes fever, firm round lumps on the skin, swollen glands (lymph nodes), watery eyes and nose, swollen legs, weakness and a sudden drop in milk. Some animals lose weight or abort, and the skin can stay damaged for a long time. The virus spreads mainly through biting insects such as flies, mosquitoes and ticks. LSD is a notifiable disease, so owners should tell their veterinarian or the animal husbandry department about suspected cases.
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a test that finds and copies tiny pieces of the virus's DNA. A veterinarian collects the sample, usually a small piece of a fresh skin lump (nodule), a scab or a swab from a sore. Blood in an EDTA tube can help early in the illness, while the animal has a fever, but the virus may stay in the blood only for a short time. Skin lumps and scabs usually carry more virus.
A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the animal's signs and the herd's history. A separate lumpy skin disease antibody test can show whether animals have met the virus or responded to vaccination. Testing helps confirm the disease, but decisions about the herd are made by your vet and the animal husbandry department. LSD is not known to infect people. Vets outside Bhopal should call the lab first on +91 88175 01118 to arrange how the sample is packed and sent.
How to prepare
A veterinarian collects the sample, such as a piece of a fresh skin lump, a scab, a swab or blood in an EDTA tube; tell the vet when the lumps first appeared and about any recent vaccination. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the result together with the animal's signs and the herd's history. A positive result shows lumpy skin disease virus DNA was found. A negative blood result does not always rule LSD out, because the virus may stay in the blood only for a short time, so skin lumps or scabs are often tested as well.
Questions about Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) RT-PCR
Which sample is used for lumpy skin disease PCR?
Who should I inform about lumpy skin disease in my cattle?
Can lumpy skin disease spread to people?
What are the signs of lumpy skin disease in cows?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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