Camelpox
Encyclopedia
Camelpox is a disease of camel
s caused by a virus
of the family Poxviridae
and the genus Orthopoxvirus
. It causes skin lesions and a generalized infection. Fatality rates may approach 25 percent in epidemics in young camels, but other cases are generally mild. The infection may be spread to the hands of camel drivers.
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s caused by a virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
of the family Poxviridae
Poxviridae
Poxviruses are viruses that can, as a family, infect both vertebrate and invertebrate animals.Four genera of poxviruses may infect humans: orthopox, parapox, yatapox, molluscipox....
and the genus Orthopoxvirus
Orthopoxvirus
Orthopoxvirus is a genus of poxviruses that includes many species isolated from mammals, such as Camelpox virus, Cowpox virus, Ectromelia virus, Monkeypox virus, and Volepox virus, which causes mousepox. The most famous member of the genus is Variola virus, which causes smallpox...
. It causes skin lesions and a generalized infection. Fatality rates may approach 25 percent in epidemics in young camels, but other cases are generally mild. The infection may be spread to the hands of camel drivers.