the use of goat pox vaccine to prevent sheep pox disease

Sheep pox and goat pox viruses (sgp) are highly contagious diseases in sheep and goats, causing generalized pox lesions. capripox viruses are resilient and can survive in various environments for extended periods. some strains can infect both sheep and goats despite typically being host-specific. goat pox virus primarily affects goats with varying host specificity. capripoxvirus isolates are non-host-specific, providing immunity to animals previously infected with isolates from a different host against similar viruses. this article aims to show that the goat pox vaccine can also protect against sheep pox. a literature review was conducted on articles and guidelines related to sheep and goat pox disease to investigate their genetic relationship and assess the efficacy of vaccination in sheep and goat herds. immunity generated by pox viruses or vaccines is strong and enduring, eliciting both cellular and humoral immune responses. maternal immunity shields against sgp virus for about 3 months. animals that overcome sgp infection acquire lifelong immunity. the virus survives by spreading among infected and susceptible animals, requiring a minimum susceptible population size. these viruses share a high level of antigenic similarity. effective live attenuated vaccines and enhanced diagnostic tests are crucial for successful control measures. active surveillance is vital for monitoring control programs, particularly for virus detection, as serologic tests cannot distinguish between infection and vaccination. vaccination with live attenuated vaccines is a primary control method in endemic regions, offering good protection and efficient outbreak control. experience from fao regional animal disease surveillance shows a notable decrease in cases with vaccination coverage ranging from 75 to 90%. vaccination against sheep and goat pox is effective in endemic areas due to cross-immunity from antigenic similarity, allowing the use of goat pox vaccine in sheep.