ox disease outbreaks occurred in sheep and goats population. Skin lesion samples were rnoUected from six different geographical areas with the aim of isolation and molecular rnharacterization of the virus responsible for causing pox lesion in heep and goats. The study was rnmployed questionnaire, outbreak search, virus isolation, and genotyping methods. The rnuestionnaire survey indicated that sheep and goat pox is the most common disease in all study rnreas and the disease is more frequent during rainy sea on followed by spring and autumn rneasons. Purposive sampling method was used to get samples for laboratory inve tigation. 1 rnotal of six pox suspected outbreaks were assessed for virus isolation and genotyping during the rntudy period. Out of 102 sheep examined, 35 sheep (34.3%) developed pox lesions on their skins rnhere as from 50 goats examined eight goats (16%) were found to be positive for pox. Virus was rnisolated from 14 skin samples (n= 16; 14 sheep and 2 goat). The virus developed characteristic rnpox virus cytopathic effect of cell syncytia, ballooning, aggregation and detaching of cells on rnVero cell culture. Similarly, the conventional genotyping P R revealed 14 out of 16 tested rnsamples were positive by developing band of 172 bp (Goal poxvirus) whereas two of them could rnnot produce any band on gel electrophoresis. The real-time genotyping PCR analysis also rnjndicated that 14 samples were properly amplified and genotyped as goat poxvirus only while 2 rnsamples not. Even though the existing knowledge suggested that Capri pox virus is strictly host rnpecific, this genotyping assay confirmed that sheep are affected by goat pox virus similar to rngoats. Classification of poxvirus based on infected host in small ruminants has been found to be rninconclusive. Thus, genotyping of the isolates should be conducted carefully instead of naming rnthe virus genotype based on the name of animals from which the samples has been collected. rnHence, further genotyping studies are needed to differentiate sheep pox virus and goat pox virus rnwith respect to their host specificity in order to select appropriate vaccine candidate and rnchallenge virus for the control of pox in the small ruminants.