In 1984 capripox entered Bangladesh developing into a severe epidemic causing high mortality in the indigenous goat population. Although at present mainly confined to the western districts the disease has spread to some central and northern districts and unless controlled could spread further. Clinically and biochemically the strain is closely related to a strain previously isolated in central India. It has been shown that restriction endonuclease analysis of the genome of field isolates of capripoxvirus can provide a useful epidemiological technique in investigating outbreaks of capripox.