When dermatologic diseases are devastating: differentiating common endemic conditions in the United States from sheep and goat pox

This article provides information to help US-based practitioners develop differential diagnoses for, and recognize foreign animal diseases associated with, dermatologic lesions in small ruminants. Sheep and goat pox are currently considered foreign animal diseases (in the United States) and may cause lesions similar to other endemic diseases of small ruminants including orf, ulcerative dermatosis, bluetongue, and dermatophilosis. Any cases involving unusual dermatologic lesions associated with high morbidity and/or mortality warrant reporting to governmental authorities including USDA APHIS or state regulatory veterinarians for herd or flock investigations. Vigilance on the part of livestock veterinarians and small ruminant producers is of paramount importance in preventing the entry and spread of economically devastating foreign animal diseases.