Parapoxvirus infection of the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).
Parapoxvirus infection occurs through scarified or damaged skin (or occasionally through the oral mucosa), followed by virus replication in keratinocytes (Buttner and Rjiha, 2002; Flamming et al., 2007; Gibs, 1984; Mc Keever et al., 1988).
Effective therapy against
Parapoxvirus infection remains contentious.
An epidemic of
parapoxvirus infection among cattle: isolation and antibody survey.
Parapoxvirus infection was suspected, and the lesion was removed surgically.
Histopathology and microscopy can support a diagnosis of a parapoxvirus infection. PCR can definitively identify orf virus (4) and is available at CDC (telephone: 404-639-4129); clinicians should contact their state health department to request PCR testing.
These results suggest the patients had previous OPXV infections, given that an active
parapoxvirus infection was demonstrated in patient 4 and vaccination could be ruled out for patients 10 (a 20-year-old) and 14 (a 24-year-old) based on their age.
Histopathology indicated nonspeciiqc inflammation, but serologic evaluation revealed parapoxvirus IgM >1:160 and IgG of 1:512, consistent with current or recent parapoxvirus infection. All lesions healed spontaneously within 2 weeks.
Negative-stain electron microscopy can confirm a parapoxvirus infection by demonstrating classic ovoid cross-hatched virions (Figure 2) but cannot distinguish orf virus from other parapoxviruses such as paravaccinia (pseudocowpox) virus; serologic testing has the same limitation.
The specialists indicated that the lesions appeared to be typical of
parapoxvirus infection. CF interviewed case-patients 1-3 again, and they reported having knife wounds after preparing lambs for the religious feast and seeing lesions on the gums and tongue of 1 lamb.
Parapoxvirus infection in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from the German North Sea.
Parapoxvirus infections in New Zealand farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus).
