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Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease of livestock that can cause cutaneous and internal lesions, affecting milk production, hide quality and in some cases death of the infected animal. After an outbreak in neighboring Iran, a working group from the Azerbaijan State Veterinary Control Service was sent to the border rayons (administrative districts) to determine if any cattle in southern Azerbaijan were infected. The Rayonal Veterinary Offices were contacted to look for and report any cases of LSD in their rayons. Animals exhibiting clinical signs consistent with LSD infection were first observed in the rayon of Bilasuvar and more cases were subsequently identified in Jalilabad, Ujar, and Aghdash rayons. Samples were collected from blood, and/or lesions of suspected infected animals and internal organs of cattle that died and were tested at the Republican Veterinary Laboratory in Baku using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From June to November 2014, 2,762 cattle in Azerbaijan were reported to have clinical signs or gross necropsy lesions consistent with LSD. Of 269 samples tested for LSD virus by real-time PCR, 199 (74%) were positive. A total of 33 cattle died, which was 1.2% of those exhibiting clinical signs of disease. Samples from nodular cutaneous lesions were more frequently positive by PCR and had higher concentrations of virus than blood and pooled internal organ samples. Preventative measures including movement restrictions, vector control and vaccination were put into place to slow the spread of disease. Ongoing surveillance should continue as environmental persistence of the virus may lead to further outbreaks of disease. more...

The Azerbaijan State Veterinary Control Service (SVCS) has conducted active serological surveillance for avian influenza (AI) in poultry since 2006, when the first outbreak of AI H5N1 occurred in Azerbaijan. Samples are collected from September to May annually and tested using a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay to detect antibodies against H5 AI viruses. HI testing is also performed for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) upon request, but since this method cannot distinguish between natural infections and immune responses to vaccination, all positive results require follow-up epidemiological investigations. Furthermore, blood collection for the surveillance program is time-intensive and can be stressful to birds. In order to improve the national surveillance program, alternative sampling and testing methodologies were applied among a population of birds in the Barda region and compared with results of the national surveillance program. Tracheal and cloacal swabs were collected instead of blood. Rather than testing individual samples, RNA was pooled to conserve resources and time, and pools were tested by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR). Environmental sampling at a live bird market was also introduced as another surveillance mechanism. A total of 1,030 swabs were collected, comprising tracheal, and cloacal samples from 441 birds and 148 environmental surface samples from farms or the live bird market. During the same time, 3,890 blood samples were collected nationally for the surveillance program; 400 of these samples originated in the Barda region. Birds sampled for rRT-PCR were likely different than those tested as part of national surveillance. All swab samples tested negative by rRT-PCR for both AI and NDV. All blood samples tested negative for H5 by HI, while 6.2% of all samples and 5% of the Barda samples tested positive for exposure to NDV. Follow-up investigations found that positive samples were from birds vaccinated in the previous month. This study demonstrated that taking swabs was quicker and less invasive than blood collection. Results of rRT-PCR testing were similar to HI testing for H5 but also ruled out infection with all influenza type A viruses and not just H5. In addition, rRT-PCR testing was able to rule out active infections with NDV. more...