Camelpox: epidemiology, diagnosis and control measures.

Camelpox is an economically important contagious skin disease of camelids caused by camelpox virus (CMLV) and is characterized by mild local skin infection and less common severe systemic infections. The disease is confined to camel-rearing belts particularly in developing countries and causes economic impact due to considerable loss in terms of morbidity, mortality, loss of weight and reduction in milk yield. The virus has gained attention from researchers due to its recent emergence with close genetic relatedness to variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox, and carrying genes responsible for host immune evasion mechanisms. CMLV was earlier thought to be a zoonotic agent but so far little evidence has been documented from Somalia. Although the disease can be diagnosed based on clinical signs, the similar confounding skin lesions necessitate identification of infection by molecular biology based diagnostic techniques, namely restriction enzyme analysis of the virus genome and specific genes, genus- and species-specific diagnostic PCRs including real-time quantitative PCR, and sequence and phylogenetic analysis for diagnosis and differentiation of CMLV. The entire genome sequence of CMLV is known and it contains more than 211 putative genes, which code for different proteins with host range, immunomodulation, virulence and other functions. Both inactivated and live-attenuated vaccines are available in some countries. However, live vaccines are preferred as they provide long-lasting immunity. Considering the virus spreads through contaminated environments, an improved diagnostic and control method would be of immense value to curtail the infection in the field. Alternative therapeutics such as antiviral agents is an area that needs to be explored. This article discusses the epidemiology and biology of the disease, novel diagnostic approaches and control measures.