Emerging Goatpox Virus Threat in Wild Ruminants: First Documented Outbreak in the United Arab Emirates, 2024

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Wildlife Disease Ecology
• Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

• Goatpox virus (GPV) is a significant threat to domestic small ruminants in endemic areas.
• Limited data exists on GPV impact and transmission dynamics in captive wildlife populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the first confirmed outbreak of GPV in captive wild ruminants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• To characterize the causative GPV strain through molecular and genomic analyses.
• To assess the implications for wildlife health and disease management.

Main Methods:

• Field investigation of a disease outbreak in a wildlife reserve.
• Clinical and pathological examination of affected animals.
• Real-time PCR for viral DNA detection.
• Virus isolation and whole-genome sequencing.
• Phylogenetic analysis of viral isolates.

Main Results:

• Confirmed GPV outbreak in Barbary sheep, Nubian ibex, Arabian oryx, and Scimitar oryx.
• High mortality rate (71 animals) over three months.
• Real-time PCR confirmed GPV DNA in multiple tissues.
• Whole-genome sequencing identified isolates as genetically identical, belonging to the Central and Western Asia lineage, closely related to a Turkish strain.

Conclusions:

• GPV can transmit from domestic animals to captive wildlife, posing a significant threat.
• Genomic data provides insights into the origin and spread of the virus.
• Emphasizes the need for integrated surveillance, diagnostics, and vaccination strategies at the wildlife-livestock interface to prevent future spillover events.