A polymerase chain reaction test for the detection of ovine herpesvirus-2 (OHV-2) DNA was used to identify sites of OHV-2 infection in peri-natal lambs and in adult sheep. OHV-2 was detected in the nasal secretions from all lambs within a period of two months following birth. Subsequently, OHV-2 DNA was identified in a number of epithelial tissues including the cornea, turbinates and pharynx. In addition, OHV-2 DNA was detected exclusively in B-lymphocytes from six of ten adult sheep tested. An infection cycle for OHV-2 in sheep is proposed which bears similarities with the gammaherpesviruses Epstein-Barr virus and mouse herpesvirus-68.