Sheeppox

The smallpox disease in sheep and goats (syn. sheep pox, goat pox ) is a related to smallpox and her clinically similar viral disease of sheep and goats. The disease occurs in Africa, Asia and Turkey, starting from there, rarely also in Southeastern Europe before, increasing the risk of introduction to Central Europe is. The smallpox epidemic among the notifiable animal diseases. In Germany the disease is most recently occurred in 1920. Humans are not susceptible to the disease.

Pathogen

The causative agent of disease, sheep pox virus Capripoxvirus ovis and goat pox virus Capripoxvirus caprae belong to the genus Capripoxvirus within the poxviruses. However, the disease is the same in both groups of animals.

Transmission is by direct contact with infectious agents. The recent outbreaks in Europe were in September 1996 in Bulgaria and in November 2000 in Greece.

Clinic

The smallpox epidemic is the most severe smallpox disease in animals. The mortality rate can range from about 50 % lamb. The lesions affect both the skin and the mucous membranes of the respiratory and digestive system. In severely affected animals, pneumonia developed.

Diagnosis

Clinically can already be a diagnosis with high probability set. It is supported by electron microscopic identification of smallpox virus in material from the lesions. In the cytoplasm of the skin cells, eosinophilic inclusion bodies can be detected. The viral antigen can be detected by ELISA. Also, the antibody detection by indirect immunofluorescence assay or virus neutralization test is possible, but rarely finds application.

Combat

In endemic areas vaccines are used. Outside the endemic animal disease is notifiable in most countries, and outbreaks are controlled by isolating the outbreak of the disease and killing diseased animals.