Current status of contagious ecthyma or orf disease in goat and sheep-A global perspective

Contagious ecthyma, an acute, contagious, debilitating and economically important viral skin disease of sheep, goat and some other domesticated and wild ruminants is worldwide in distribution. It is a nonsystematic eruptive skin disease having public health importance. The disease is also known as sore mouth, contagious pustular dermatitis or scabby mouth. It is usually more severe in goats than in sheep and characterized by proliferative lesions on the mouth and muzzle usually resolved in 1-2 months. Other important members of the genus are pseudocowpox virus and bovine papular stomatitis virus. Although clinical signs are indicative of the orf disease, a laboratory based diagnosis is necessary for confirmation and epidemiological investigations. The lesions of the disease often jeopardize the optimum productivity and reduce the market value of the meat, leather and wool besides disruption of the national and international trade of animal and animal products. Further, the zoonotic importance of the disease has added the significance of the disease to a new dimension. Detailed and updated information on isolation, identification, physico-chemical properties, host range, pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical signs, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, immunity and prophylaxis in goats and humans would not only help in updating the knowledge of scientific fraternity but also would be useful to the policy makers in order to formulate appropriate measures for control and eradication of the disease. This review is aimed to present the latest information on the disease to the readers that in turn help in the effective and efficient management of the disease leading the reduction of the economic losses to a great extent.