Assessment of the Impact of Sheep and Goat Pox Lesions on Skin Quality in Selected Ware Houses of Central Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: The study was performed from January 2016 to May 2017 with the aim of identifying the impact of sheep and goat pox in skin quality in selected localities of central Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1360 fresh, salted and dried skins were examined and graded. Pox lesion positive skins were examined by PCR to identify the agent. RESULTS: The prevalence of sheep and goat in the study areas was 4.022%. From a total of 86 rejected skins, a large number of skins were in the rejected category (2.78%). There were highly statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) between sheep and goat pox and species and study areas. However, there were no statically significant associations (p > 0.05) between skin size and sheep and pox. Molecular diagnosis of the case revealed that goat pox virus was responsible for the lesion. CONCLUSION: Goat pox virus is the main cause of skin rejection and the factor that causes downgrading of skin.