Ghana - Sheep Ecthyma

The next day we were up at 5 as we had to be at the vets early due to the outreach that we were going on. We were back to the sheep and goat farm that we had visited the day before, but this time we were removing an infection from around their mouth, called Ecthyma (or sometimes Orf) .

To remove the Ecthyma we were using a pair of forceps to scrap off the infection. The animals were not that happy with the whole experience but it would be beneficial in the long run. After scraping off as much of the infected area that we could, we would apply iodine to the area to promote healing and stop any of the areas from becoming re-infected.

Ecthyma, or Orf, is spread through direct contact with an infected animal. Symptoms of Orf include Papules (solid elevation of skin with no visible fluid) and Pustules (small elevations of the skin containing cloudy or purulent material). These are often found on the lips and muzzles of sheep and goats.