Immunohistochemical detection of antigen in lamb tissues naturally infected with sheeppox virus

The present study describes the detection of sheeppox Virus antigen in Vari ous lamb tissues, using an immunohistochemical technique, in sheeppox cases which occurred naturally. Sheeppox viral antigen was detected in the cytop lasm of sheeppox cells and degenerated epithelial cells of die skin, lungs and digestive tract involving typical sheeppox lesions. Nuclear staining wa s also observed in some typically deformed nuclei of sheeppox cells. The im munostaining of sheeppox virus showed a correlation with the presence of sh eeppox cells and degenerated epithelial cells resembling them. additionally , in order to confirm the presence of sheeppox virus in the skin and lung s amples, direct electron microscopy was performed and sheeppox virus was onl y demonstrated in two skin samples.