Variola caprina (goat pox) is a contagious viral disease caused by Goatpox virus, a pox virus that affects goats.

Sources of the virus include cutaneous lesions, saliva, nasal secretions and faeces.

The virus may be present in dried scabs for up to six months.

Resistant animals may show only a mild form of the disease, which may be missed as only a few lesions are present, usually around the ears or the tail.

Goat pox is found in the part of Africa north of the equator, the Middle East, Central Asia and India.