TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecthyma contagiosum (orf) - Report of a human case from the United Arab Emirates and review of the literature
AU - Al-Salam, Suhail
AU - Nowotny, Norbert
AU - Sohail, Mohammed Rizwan
AU - Kolodziejek, Jolanta
AU - Berger, Thomas G.
PY - 2008/6
Y1 - 2008/6
N2 - Background: Ecthyma contagiosum (orf) is caused by an epitheliotropic parapox virus. It is a zoonosis usually transmitted to humans from affected sheep or goat through direct contact or contaminated fomites. Methods: We report a 36-year-old patient with multiple skin lesions on his left hand, first observed 5 days before admission followed by red streaks on the forearm and an erythema on the upper arm 1 day prior to admission. The patient reported that he was working on a sheep farm. Results: Histopathologic examination showed evidence of a viral infection. Subsequent transmission electron microscopy showed typical parapox virus particles, predominantly in the scaled-off layers of degenerated keratinocytes and monocytes. The results were verified and specified by two newly established polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and subsequent sequencing of the amplicons: one broadly reacting 'general parapox virus PCR', and one assay which allows - following sequencing - discrimination between individual orf virus strains. Conclusion: Despite the multiplicity of the lesions, there was a significant improvement after 2 weeks of treatment. Sequencing showed the uniqueness of this virus compared with previously published strains from other countries.
AB - Background: Ecthyma contagiosum (orf) is caused by an epitheliotropic parapox virus. It is a zoonosis usually transmitted to humans from affected sheep or goat through direct contact or contaminated fomites. Methods: We report a 36-year-old patient with multiple skin lesions on his left hand, first observed 5 days before admission followed by red streaks on the forearm and an erythema on the upper arm 1 day prior to admission. The patient reported that he was working on a sheep farm. Results: Histopathologic examination showed evidence of a viral infection. Subsequent transmission electron microscopy showed typical parapox virus particles, predominantly in the scaled-off layers of degenerated keratinocytes and monocytes. The results were verified and specified by two newly established polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays and subsequent sequencing of the amplicons: one broadly reacting 'general parapox virus PCR', and one assay which allows - following sequencing - discrimination between individual orf virus strains. Conclusion: Despite the multiplicity of the lesions, there was a significant improvement after 2 weeks of treatment. Sequencing showed the uniqueness of this virus compared with previously published strains from other countries.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0560.2007.00857.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0560.2007.00857.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 18201239
AN - SCOPUS:43349090418
SN - 0303-6987
VL - 35
SP - 603
EP - 607
JO - Journal of Cutaneous Pathology
JF - Journal of Cutaneous Pathology
IS - 6
ER -