Abstract: Sheep contagious ecthyma, caused by infection of orf virus （ORFV）, is a highly contagious and widespread zoonosis. Healthy sheep infected with ORFV will develop papules, blisters, pustules and ulcers in consecutive order, and eventually verrucous scabs in the hairless areas such as lip, nose, and mouth, resulting in proliferative damage. Lambs are particularly susceptible due to incomplete development of their immune system. After the onset, lambs will have difficulty in feeding and malnutrition, which will affect their growth and development, and severe cases will die from secondary infection.This paper reviews the research progress on contagious ecthyma in sheep from the aspects of etiology, epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, as well as prevention and treatment measures by referring the recent researches in China and abroad, in hoping to provide references for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this disease in veterinary clinics.

Key words: contagious ecthyma, ORFV, lamb, etiology, epidemiology, clinical symptoms