Abstract：
An outbreak of sheeppox was investigated in a cluster of villages situated in Western Himalayan ranges of a Northern Indian state. Non-migratory sheep (n = 80) of native breeds namely Gaddi and Rampur Bushair were infected and 15 have died. The outbreak started after a few animals contracted the disease during the summer grazing period at the highland pastures from migrating flocks of sheep. This initial outbreak resulted in a further spreading of the disease into the valley. Clinical examination revealed varying degree of cutaneous papular lesions and respiratory distress. Upon necropsy, visceral lesions in the lungs, trachea and kidneys were also found. Clinical and morbid samples were found positive for sheeppox virus using group specific P32 gene and I3L gene based multiplex PCR differentiating sheeppox and goatpox viruses. Histopathological, hematological and blood biochemical analysis also supported the pathology of an acute viral infection. The causative sheeppox virus strain was isolated using lamb testicular cell culture and phylogenetic analysis, based upon P32 and RPO30 genes, showed its clustering with other Indian strains reported from neighboring states. This study demonstrated the spread of sheeppox virus to new niches by migratory sheep flocks leading to establishment of endemic infections in many new pockets of higher Western Himalayas.
摘要：
在印度北部州喜马拉雅山脉西部的一群村庄中调查了羊痘的爆发。本地品种Gaddi和RampurBushair的非迁徙绵羊（n=80）被感染，有15人死亡。在夏季放牧期间，高原牧场的几只动物因迁徙的羊群感染了这种疾病之后，爆发了这种疾病。最初的爆发导致疾病进一步传播到山谷。临床检查显示不同程度的皮肤丘疹病变和呼吸窘迫。尸检时,肺部内脏病变，还发现了气管和肾脏。使用基于组特异性P32基因和I3L基因的多重PCR区分羊痘和山羊痘病毒，发现临床和病态样品对羊痘病毒呈阳性。组织病理学,血液学和血液生化分析也支持急性病毒感染的病理学。使用羔羊睾丸细胞培养和系统发育分析分离了致病羊痘病毒株，基于P32和RPO30基因，显示其与邻国报告的其他印度菌株聚集在一起。这项研究证明了羊痘病毒通过迁徙的羊群传播到新的生态位，导致在西喜马拉雅山的许多新地区建立了地方性感染。
