Sheeppox and goatpox is a contagious viral disease of sheep and goats characterized by fever, generalized papules or nodules in skin and mucosal surface. DNA virus belonging to the genus capripoxvirus. The disease with high mortality and morbidity causes significant economic losses in small ruminants. In this study, 20 tissues from 8 sheep which were considered having natural sheeppox based on the macroscopic and histopathologic evaluation were further investigated by immunohistochemical (iNOS, SP-A, HSP-70), and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. Papules, typically pox lesions, noticeable on the skin surfaces were examined macroscopically. Immunohistochemically; iNOS and SP-A were most intensely stained whereas HSP-70 was low stained. PCR method was used for the detection of A29L gene of capripoxvirus. Positive samples obtained from sheep were used for molecular characterization. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using sequence of the partial A29L gene and by comparing with reference sheeppox viruses isolates obtained from Gene Bank. The results of the sequence analysis were similar among themselves, they were found different (99-100% identity) from the other sheeppox viruses around the world. This study provides firstly phylogenetic analysis of sheeppoxviruses from Van province in Turkey.

Key words: HSP-7, iNOS, Moleculer characterization, Sheeppox virus, SP-A