{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T09:07:46Z","timestamp":1779181666562,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]],"date-time":"2026-05-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778889600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The goatpox virus (GPV) is a highly contagious pathogen primarily affecting domestic small ruminants in endemic regions of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This study reports the first confirmed outbreak of GPV in captive wild ruminants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The outbreak occurred in a fenced 900-hectare mountainous reserve following a period of heavy rainfall, and Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), and Scimitar oryx (Oryx dammah) were affected. Clinical signs included generalized cutaneous nodules, mucopurulent nasal discharge, respiratory distress, weakness, and emaciation. Over a three-month period, 71 animals died or were euthanized. Histopathological findings were consistent with GPV infection in goats, although typical inclusion bodies were missing. Real-time PCR confirmed GPV DNA in multiple tissues with a high viral genome load. Virus isolation was successful only in lamb testis cells. Whole-genome sequencing demonstrated that the isolates were genetically identical and clustered within the Central and Western Asia lineage, showing closest similarity to a Turkish field strain. The finding highlights the potential for cross-species transmission of GPV into wildlife and emphasizes the importance of surveillance, as well as molecular diagnostic and preventative vaccination strategies at the wildlife\u2013livestock interface.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci13050480","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T07:35:43Z","timestamp":1779176143000},"page":"480","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Emerging Goatpox Virus Threat in Wild Ruminants: First Documented Outbreak in the United Arab Emirates, 2024"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-7851-2653","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christiana","family":"Hebel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ajith","family":"Kumar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"His Highness Purchase and Supply Office, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6014-678X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sunitha","family":"Joseph","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joerg","family":"Kinne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nissy Annie Georgy","family":"Patteril","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0178-6183","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florian","family":"Pfaff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald\u2013Insel Riems, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5358-6445","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bernd","family":"Hoffmann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald\u2013Insel Riems, Germany"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rolf","family":"Schuster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-5448-6600","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francois","family":"Le Grange","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wadi Al Safa Wildlife Centre, Dubai P.O. Box 27875, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8693-854X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ulrich","family":"Wernery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai 27748, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Center for Food Security and Public Health (2025, October 28). Sheep and Goat Pox: Factsheet: Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University. Available online: https:\/\/www.cfsph.iastate.edu\/Factsheets\/pdfs\/sheep_and_goat_pox.pdf."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WOAH WOfAH (2025, October 22). Sheep Pox and Goat Pox. 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Microbiol., 14.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2023.1266759"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1186\/s13028-021-00574-2","article-title":"Experimental infection of indigenous North African goats with goatpox virus","volume":"63","author":"Hamdi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Vet. Scand."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1111\/tbed.13322","article-title":"Extended sequencing of vaccine and wild-type capripoxvirus isolates provides insights into genes modulating virulence and host range","volume":"67","author":"Biswas","year":"2020","journal-title":"Transbound. Emerg. Dis."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16063","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-52277-4","article-title":"Frequency of extreme precipitation increases extensively with event rareness under global warming","volume":"9","author":"Myhre","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"German, C.G., Luis, R.G., Sergio, B.G., Fatima, G.C., Manuel, F.M., Jaime, C.G., and Jesus, T.C. (2024). Description of Sheep Pox Outbreak in Spain in 2022-2023: Challenges Found and Lessons Learnt in Relation with Control and Eradication of This Disease. Viruses, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/v16071164"},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"1","article-title":"Genomic Characterization of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus in Sardinia, Italy 2025","volume":"61","author":"Marcacci","year":"2025","journal-title":"Vet. Ital."}],"container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/13\/5\/480\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T08:23:02Z","timestamp":1779178982000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/13\/5\/480"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5]]}},"alternative-id":["vetsci13050480"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/vetsci13050480","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-7381"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2306-7381","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,16]]}}}