Sheeppox

Vaccinal disease due to poorly inactivated vaccine

Sheeppox (or sheep pox, known as variola ovina in Latin, clavelée in French, Pockenseuche in German) is a highly contagious disease of sheep caused by a poxvirus different from the benign orf (or contagious ecthyma).

Sheep pox is the most severe of all the pox diseases of animals.^[1]

Goatpox is a similar disease of goats, caused by a virus antigenically distinct from sheeppox virus.

Geographical distribution

Sheep pox is present in Mediterranean area, and the Middle East to Pakistan.^[2]

Clinical findings

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  Lesions around lips (orf is on lips)

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  Starting lesions (reddening) in axilla

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  Crusty lesions in axilla

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  Crusty lesions on tail

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  Crusty lesions on tail (lamb)

Vaccination

In most countries, large scale state vaccination programs are implemented against the disease. But, so far, few have succeeded in eradicating it.It is carried out by different type of vaccines. 1.Tissue Vaccine 2.Attenuated Vaccine 3.Killed Vaccine 4.Freeze dried Live Vaccine

External links

• Description of disease on Merck veterinary manual

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sheep pox.

References

1. ↑ D.C. Blood, J.A. Henderson, O.M. Radostits (1979). Veterinary Medicine (5th ed.). London: Baillière Tindall. pp. 708–709 (Sheeppox and goatpox). ISBN 0-7020-0718-8. 
2. ↑ Jensen, Rue & Brinton L. (1982) Diseases of Sheep Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger ISBN 0-8121-0836-1, pp. 235-238