MEVAC™ SHEEP POX

The Impact of Sheep Pox in Sheep and Goat

Sheep pox is a viral disease of sheep characterised by fever, generalised nodules, lung lesions and death. Sheep pox and goat pox diseases are caused by strains of genus Capripoxvirus in the family Poxviridae. Sheep pox and goat pox are endemic in Africa north of the Equator, the Middle East and Asia, while some parts of Europe have experienced outbreaks recently. Countries that reported outbreaks of the disease between 2010 and 2015 include Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Greece and Russia, with Greece, Israel and Russia having experienced recurring incidences.¹

The incubation period of sheep pox and goat pox is between 8 and 13 days following contact between infected  and susceptible animals or 4 days following mechanical transmission by insects. Within 24 hours of the appearance of generalised papules, affected animals develop rhinitis, conjunctivitis and  enlargement of all the superficial lymph nodes. As the papules on the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose ulcerate, breathing may become difficult and noisy due to pressure on the upper respiratory tract.¹

Vaccination is a well accepted intervention strategy for controlling the disease. The vaccine of choice must be safe to use in all breeds of sheep and goats for which it is intended,  including young and pregnant animals. It must also be non-transmissible, remain attenuated after further tissue culture passage. In this context, the safety and efficacy of Kemin vaccine has been demonstrated in vaccination challenge experiments under controlled conditions.¹

Product Details

Dosage

Sheep and goat: 1 mL per animal via subcutaneous injection in the neck sides. Do not administer the vaccine over the loin or hindquarters. The vaccine shall be reconstituted with 2-3 mL of cooled sterile diluent using a sterile single-use syringe.

Administration

• Shake the reconstituted lyophilisate until complete resuspension.
• Transfer the suspension back to the remaining sterile diluent and mix well again.
• Rinse the vaccine vial by transferring some of the diluent once more from the container containing the diluent. Pour this liquid back into the diluent container.
• Shake well before filling the syringe allotted for administration.
• Use a sterile syringe (16-gauge needle; ½ inch) for injection.

Storage Precautions

• Store and transport refrigerated (+2°C to +8°C).
• Do not freeze.
• Store in a dry place protected from direct light.
• Do not use this product after the expiry date.
• Shelf life: 24 months after manufacturing date.
• Shelf life after reconstitution according to directions: 3 hours.

Presentation

MEVAC™ SHEEP POX is packed and presented in a cardboard box containing 10 glass vials of 6 ml. Contents per vial: 100 doses. The sterile diluent is packed and presented in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of 100 mL.

References

1. WOAH Terrestrial Manual (2024). https://www.woah.org/fileadmin/Home/eng/Health_ standards/tahm/3.08.12_S_POX_G_POX.pdf

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