Lamb pays lip service: two cases of ecthyma contagiosum (orf)

Abstract

Ecthyma contagiosum (orf) is caused by a parapox virus, which results in ulcerative stomatitis of mainly sheep and goats. The disease may be transmitted to humans through direct contact. Complications are rare in healthy individuals, who rarely report the disease. Two married, recreational sheep farmers, were bitten on their index fingers by an affected lamb. While the husband made an uneventful recovery after oral flucloxacillin, his wife was admitted to hospital with necrosis of her finger, cellulitis and lymphangitis requiring intravenous clindamycin. She subsequently developed a generalized maculo-papular rash, which was initially thought to be an adverse drug reaction, but, on hindsight, may have been erythema multiforme associated with orf. Orf is a common zoonosis, rarely reported in general practice. The disease is usually self-limiting and resolves in 6-8 weeks, but complications may occur. The diagnosis should be considered in at-risk occupational and religious groups.

Molecular identification and investigations of contagious ecthyma (Orf virus) in small ruminants, North west Ethiopia

“…Currently, there are live Orf vaccines which can control the disease, but it has a spreading potential to the environment and increasing the risk of another animals [ 7 ]. Infected animals can show a common clinical picture such as infectious pustules around the lip area, mouth, tongue, and very rarely on udder and teats and unsurprisingly, the disease in various outbreaks is named as Orf, contagious ecthyma, pustular dermatitis, infectious labial dermatitis, scabby mouth, or sore mouth [ 8 ].…”

Two Cases of Orf Complicated With Erythema Multiforme

“…Antibiyotiklerin ise orfla ilişkili erythema multiforme'de rolü net değildir. Literatürde orfla ilişkili erythema multiforme görülen hastaların önceden antibiyotik kullanımının olduğu örnekler bulunmaktadır (14,15). Ancak önceden antibiyotik kullanımının olmadığı örnekler de vardır (16)(17)(18).…”

Human Orf with Immune-Mediated Reactions: A Systematic Review

“…Mechanisms of Orf-induced autoimmune diseases may include viral mimicry of host proteins (‘molecular mimicry’) or alteration of basement membrane proteins by the virus (increasing immunogenicity) [ 20 ]. Moreover, considering that the unaware clinician might prescribe drugs for an autoresolving primary lesion, the occasional immune-mediated skin rashes that may occur during Orf infections are under-reported in the literature as mistakable with drug allergic events [ 14 , 18 , 21 , 22 ].…”