A high-resolution melting (HRM) assay for the differentiation between Israeli field and Neethling vaccine lumpy skin disease viruses.

•The current study describes an improved HRM assay able to distinguish between virulent and field types of Lumpy skin disease virus.•The HRM test is based on a 27bp deletion in the LSDV126 gene of the vaccine strain. The vaccine virus displays ∼0.50°C lower Tm compare to field viruses.•Viruses isolated from immunize cattle that developed disease symptoms behave in the assay identically to the vaccine strain.•Sequencing of the LSDV126 gene verified that the 27bp deletion is present only in vaccinated cattle isolates, validating the HRM results.