Sheep & Goat Pox Capripoxvirus Infection

Sheep and goat pox are contagious viral diseases of small ruminants. These diseases may be mild in indigenous breeds living in endemic areas, but are often fatal in newly introduced animals. Economic losses result from decreased milk production, damage to the quality of hides and wool, and other production losses. Sheep and goat pox can limit trade and prevent the development of intensive livestock production. They may also prevent new breeds of sheep or goats from being imported into endemic regions. The agents of sheep and goat pox could be used in agroterrorism, and are listed in the USDA National Select Agent Registry. Etiology Sheep pox and goat pox result from infection by sheeppox virus (SPV) or goatpox virus (GPV), closely related members of the Capripox genus in the family Poxviridae. Most isolates are host specific, with SPV mainly causing disease in sheep and GPV predominantly affecting goats. However, some isolates can cause serious disease in both species. SPV and GPV cannot be distinguished from each other with serological techniques (including serum neutralization), and were once thought to b