Sheep Orf (Contagious Pustular Dermatitis): Welfare and Management

Orf is a painful viral skin condition affecting sheep and goats, causing proliferative lesions on lips, muzzle, and feet that impair feeding and cause significant welfare suffering, particularly in lambs.

Key Facts

Orf is caused by the parapoxvirus Orf virus (ORFV) and is endemic in sheep flocks worldwide
Lesions typically appear on the lips and muzzle, causing severe pain when eating — lambs may be unable to suckle
The virus survives in soil for years, making eradication difficult once farms are infected
Orf is a zoonosis — humans in contact with infected animals can develop painful lesions on hands and fingers

Welfare Considerations

Lambs with severe orf lesions are unable to suckle from ewes without pain, causing slow starvation that may require supplementary feeding or early weaning. Adult sheep with foot orf develop lameness that adds to any existing foot health burden. Lesions are self-limiting (resolving in 3-6 weeks) but cause pain throughout this period. Anti-inflammatory pain relief reduces suffering and improves feed intake. Secondary bacterial infection of orf lesions causes more severe and prolonged disease. Vaccination is available but its efficacy is variable and duration of immunity limited.

What You Can Do

Administer NSAIDs to lambs with orf to improve feed intake and reduce pain
Implement supplementary feeding for affected lambs unable to suckle effectively
Vaccinate flocks in endemic areas using live orf vaccine applied to scarified skin
Use gloves when handling orf-affected sheep to protect handlers from zoonotic infection