Abstract: Orf virus (ORFV) is the prototype species of the parapoxvirus genus of the poxviridae which has intensive eruptive skin. It mainly causes a highly contagious ecthyma in humen and animals. The disease which has high infectivity and morbidity is found throughout the world. The disease can cause huge economic loss for ovine husbandry and threaten the health of humen, so it has important significance of public health. The difference of antigen of distinct strains and clinical symptom of infected animals causes difficulties for the diagnosis and the prevention and cure of the disease. Recent years, researchers all over the world have been deeply researched ORFV and have gotten plenty of important progress especially on ORFV genome constitutions, main functional proteins of ORFV, pathogenic mechanism and diagnosis and prevention. The results provide a basic foundation on prevention and control of the disease.

Key words: ORFV; genome constitutions; functional proteins; immunity property; pathogenic mechanism; detection; diagnosis