Pox outbreaks in Sheep and Goats at Makhdoom (Uttar Pradesh), India: Evidence of Sheeppox Virus Infection in Goats

Abstract

Sheeppox and goatpox outbreaks occur often in India incurring huge economic loss to the small ruminant industry. This paper describes two sheeppox outbreaks, of which one occurred in an organized sheep breeding farm at Makhdoom (Uttar Pradesh), India, during 2007 and another in goats at the Central Institute of Research on Goats, Makhdoom (Uttar Pradesh), India during 2008. In the first outbreak, a local Muzaffarnagari sheep breed was affected (n=477) with morbidity and mortality rates, respectively, of 100% and 53.9% accompanied by significant productivity losses. In the 2008 outbreaks, a small number of goats were affected without any mortality. The tissue and swabs collected from both the outbreaks were processed and inoculated onto Vero cells, and the causative agent of the outbreaks, capripox virus (CaPV), was isolated. The identity of the virus was confirmed as CaPV based on electron microscopy, experimental pathogenesis in sheep, capripox-specific conventional and real-time PCRs. Sequence analysis of the P32 envelope protein gene revealed that the causative agent of both outbreaks was confirmed as sheeppox virus (SPPV) implying SPPV infection not only in sheep but also goats in India.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of a sheep pox virus isolated from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China

“…However, recent records have indicated that some CaPV strains infect both sheep and goats (Bhanuprakash et al, 2006(Bhanuprakash et al, , 2010. Information based only on the host animal species from which the strain was first isolated is inadequate to identify CaPVs, and owing to the very close antigenic relationship among CaPVs, conventional serological methods cannot distinguish SPPV and GTPV.…”

Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of sheeppox virus in Al - Hassa of Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

“…The mortality rate in young animals can exceed 50% but in naïve animals can reach 100% (Bhanuprakash et al, 2006). Capripoxviruses (CaPVs) are mainly host-specific, means that SPPV only infected sheep while GTPV only infected goats, but some recent researchers recorded that some strains of SPPV and GTPV could infect both sheep and goats (Bhanuprakash et al, 2006;Bhanuprakash et al, 2010). Conventional serological assays could not distinguish SPPV, GTPV and LSDV due to the close antigenic and virulence relationship (Balinsky et al, 2008).…”

Prevalence, diagnosis, management and control of important diseases of ruminants with special reference to indian scenario

“…The sheeppox and goatpox diseases are notifiable to Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) due to its economic impact. In India, sheeppox and goatpox diseases are endemic, which are host specific and pose a serious economic loss to small ruminant husbandry (Bhanuprakash et al, 2006;Bhanuprakash et al, 2010;Bhanuprakash et al, 2011). Although, SPPV and GTPV are considered as host-specific they can cross the species barrier i.e.…”