Progress towards sheep and goat pox vaccines

Abstract

Sheep pox and goat pox are diseases of sheep and goats caused by pox virus. The variety and range of clinical signs produced by a single strain of virus in different breeds and age groups of animal tends to overlap those produced by different viruses within the same group or even different groups of pox viruses. Thus, contagious pustular dermatitis, easy to diagnose in countries considered free of sheep and goat pox, is probably frequently diagnosed as sheep or goat pox where the diseases co-exist. In the past, vaccinia infection of sheep and goats could also have been misdiagnosed.