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Contagious ecthyma
Contagious ecthyma is a very common viral disease in sheep and goats. It causes thick crusts around the mouth, on the lips and on the snout, especially in lambs and kids. The virus responsible belongs to the poxvirus family. It is extremely...
What is it?
Contagious ecthyma is a very common viral disease in sheep and goats. It causes thick crusts around the mouth, on the lips and on the snout, especially in lambs and kids.
The virus responsible belongs to the poxvirus family. It is extremely resistant: it survives for months, or even longer, in crusts fallen on the ground, in litter, on feeders and on equipment.
The disease most often heals on its own within a few weeks, but it causes great suffering to young people, who can no longer breastfeed properly and lose the condition.
Key point
Rarely fatal disease in adults, but frankly painful and penalizing in young people. Its transmissible nature to humans alone justifies the systematic wearing of gloves.
Commonly observed signs
These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.
Related signs — each one links to its page:
In lamb and kid: small red spots then vesicles at the corners of the lips, which become thick brown crusts, sometimes bleeding.
Lesions extend to the muzzle, nostrils, around the eyes and inside the mouth.
The animal is in pain, it hesitates to suckle and eat: it loses weight and falls behind the others.
More abundant salivation when lesions are present in the mouth.
In lactating sheep: lesions and crusts on the teats, transmitted by the suckling lamb. The ewe, in pain, refuses to nurse, which worsens the lamb's condition and promotes the appearance of mastitis.
Rarer forms affect the hooves, the genital region or the entire udder.
The fever is usually absent or discreet: it is the pain and the appearance of the crusts which alert you.
When to consult without delay
This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.
Causes and risk factors
The disease is caused by a virus from the poxvirus family, specific to small ruminants.
It penetrates through the skin or mucous membranes through a small wound: sting from a thistle, scratch on a feeder, irritation due to coarse food.
Once established on a farm, the virus persists for a long time in the environment and reappears with each new group of lambs.
Young age: lambs and kids from a few weeks to a few months are the most affected.
High density of animals, grouped lambing, overcrowded buildings.
Pungent or coarse food (stubble, thistles, very coarse hay) which injures the lips and opens the door to the virus.
Quarantine-free animal purchases, gatherings, markets, transportation.
Damp litter and rarely renewed.
Transmission
By direct contact between animals: snout to snout, sucking from an infected udder, contact with a feed horn or trough.
In the middle: crusts fallen in the litter, feeders, drinkers, walls, barriers, restraint equipment, transport vehicles.
By the hands and clothes of people passing from one lot to another.
The introduction of a purchased animal, even an apparently cured one, is a classic entry point into a previously unharmed herd.
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.
The veterinarian usually recognizes the disease by the appearance and location of the scabs.
It rules out other diseases that cause lesions of the mouth or muzzle, some of which are much more serious and require reporting: this is the main reason to call it rather than treating it alone.
If in doubt, a scab sample can be sent to the laboratory for confirmation.
He also checks the condition of the ewes' udders and the fattening state of the lambs, two points often neglected.
Treatment
There is no medication that destroys the virus: recovery is spontaneous within two to four weeks in most cases.
Treatments aim for comfort and prevention of complications: gentle cleaning of lesions, application of antiseptic or healing products prescribed by the veterinarian, softening of the most annoying scabs.
An antibiotic can be prescribed when the wounds become superinfected, particularly on the breasts; it acts on bacteria, never on viruses.
An anti-inflammatory is sometimes justified in a very painful animal that is no longer eating.
Lambs that are no longer suckling must be helped: adapted feeding, separation from their mother in a separate group, daily monitoring of weight and liveliness.
Always wear gloves for these treatments, and wash your hands afterwards.
Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.
Prevention
Isolate affected animals and treat sick groups last, never before healthy groups.
Quarantine any newly purchased animals before introducing them into the herd.
Regularly clean and disinfect feeders, drinkers, barriers and restraint equipment; renew the litter, because the fallen crusts remain contaminating for a very long time.
Avoid spicy foods for young people and remove objects that hurt the lips.
Limit density at lambing time.
Wash your hands and change clothes between two breedings; do not lend non-disinfected equipment.
Vaccination
A vaccine exists, based on a live virus, applied by scarification of the skin.
Its particularity must be well understood: it deposits live virus in livestock. It is therefore only used in herds already affected, never in an unaffected herd, otherwise it will introduce the disease.
The decision to vaccinate, the timing and the batches involved are made by the veterinarian, who takes into account the history of the flock and the lambing schedule.
Vaccinated animals have a lesion at the point of scarification: it is contagious like the disease, for other animals as well as for the person handling it.
Possible complications
Bacterial superinfection of the scabs, with wounds that spread and heal poorly.
Mastitis in sheep with damaged teats, which can permanently compromise a part of the udder.
Lambs that no longer suckle: weight loss, lasting growth retardation, mortality among the youngest.
Damage to the hooves leading to lameness.
Forms extending to the mouth and pharynx can interfere with eating for several weeks.
When to see a veterinarian
Scabs appear on the lips or snouts of several lambs at the same time.
A lamb no longer suckles, loses weight or remains lying aside.
Ewes refuse to suckle and show lesions or swelling of the udder.
The lesions bleed, smell bad or expand despite treatment.
Mouth lesions are accompanied by fever, discharge or death: call immediately, other much more serious illnesses must be ruled out.
You yourself develop a pimple or sore on your hand after handling sick animals: consult a doctor.
Transmission to humans
Contagious ecthyma is transmitted to humans. It is a classic occupational disease of breeders, shepherds, shearers and veterinarians, and it also affects children who caress or feed lambs.
Contamination occurs through direct contact with the lesions of a sick animal, with an infected teat during milking or bottle-feeding, or with soiled equipment. A small scratch on the hand is enough.
In humans, the lesion most often appears on the fingers, hands or forearms: a red nodule, then a sometimes large, painful wound, which takes several weeks to heal. The lymph nodes in the arm may swell.
Protective actions are simple and effective: wear gloves when caring for or handling affected animals, never touch scabs with bare hands, wash your hands carefully after work, cover cuts and scrapes before entering the sheepfold.
People with weakened immune systems should be particularly careful and avoid contact with sick animals.
Consult a doctor if you have any hand injury that appears after contact with sheep or goats, and report this contact to him: this will guide the diagnosis and avoid unnecessary treatment.
Prognosis
Healing is the rule: the lesions dry up and fall off in two to four weeks, most of the time without leaving a trace.
Cured animals are protected for a certain time, but this protection is not permanent.
The economic impact comes mainly from the stunted growth of lambs, mastitis among mothers and the work time devoted to care.
In the flock, the disease tends to return with each new generation of lambs as long as the environment is not cleaned up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get this disease from caring for my lambs?
Yes, and it's common. The virus passes through the slightest scratch on the hands and causes a wound that takes several weeks to heal. Wear gloves for all care, never touch the scabs with bare hands and wash your hands afterwards. If a lesion appears on your hand, consult a doctor, telling him that you work with sheep.
Should the scabs be removed so that they heal faster?
No. Removing the scabs makes you bleed, opens the door to bacteria and directly exposes you to the virus. We just clean gently and apply what the vet prescribed.
Can my cured animals still contaminate others?
The main risk comes from the environment: crusts that have fallen into the litter or remained on the feeders remain contaminating for a very long time. Cleaning, disinfecting and renewing the litter is as important as isolating the sick.
Is the milk of affected sheep edible?
A udder with lesions or mastitis does not produce healthy milk, and raw milk is never recommended anyway. Ask your veterinarian for advice for your herd, particularly if antibiotic treatment has been administered.
References
WOAH — Organisation mondiale de la santé animale (ex-OIE)
CDC — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Content reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team · Updated 09 August 2026
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