Study design
This is a prospective observational study which carried out in August 2019. A total of 30 small ruminants with contagious ecthyma were sampled in a livestock market at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. These ruminants were raised under extensive farming system in Kano (5), Yobe (4), Katsina (5), Jigawa (1), Niger (1) and Niger Republic (14) from where they were shipped to the FCT (Figure 1). Common clinical signs include weakness, inappetence, lymphadenopathy, rough hair coat, cough, scabby lesions on the commissures of the lips, mouth, muzzle, skin, eyes, nose ears and head region.