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Life (Basel) 2021 May 4;11(5). Epub 2021 May 4.

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, 07100 Sassari, Italy.

Orf virus (ORFV) represents the causative agent of contagious ecthyma, clinically characterized by mild papular and pustular to severe proliferative lesions, mainly occurring in sheep and goats. In order to provide hints on the evolutionary history of this virus, we carried out a study aimed to assess the genetic variation of ORFV in Sardinia that hosts a large affected small ruminant population. We also found a high worldwide mutational viral evolutionary rate, which resulted, in turn, higher than the rate we detected for the strains isolated in Sardinia. Read More

Med Clin North Am 2021 Jul;105(4):783-797

Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 510 20th Street South, FOT Suite 858, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. Electronic address:

This evidence-based review highlights cutaneous infections of bacterial, viral, and fungal origin that are frequently encountered by clinicians in all fields of practice. With a focus on treatment options and management, the scope of this article is to serve as a reference for physicians, regardless of field of specialty, as they encounter these pathogens in clinical practice. Read More

Future Sci OA 2021 Apr 20;7(6):FSO700. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Department of Animal Health & Production Technology, College of Agriculture & Animal Science, Wurno, Sokoto, Nigeria.

Aim: The aim of this study was to molecularly characterize orf virus isolated from clinical infections in goats in Sokoto metropolis.

Materials & Methods: Embryonated chicken eggs were used to isolate orf virus according to the established protocol. Viral DNA was extracted and full coding region of gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, sequenced and blasted for identification and phylogenetically analyzed. Read More

Anim Health Res Rev 2021 May 21:1-16. Epub 2021 May 21.

Virology Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Contagious ecthyma (CE) is an infectious disease of small ruminants caused by a parapoxvirus of family Poxviridae subfamily Chordopoxvirinae. The disease is obviously distinguished by an establishment of scabby lesions and ulcerative formation on less hairy areas including muzzle, ears, nostril, and sometimes on genitalia. The disease is endemic in sheep and goats. Read More

Trop Anim Health Prod 2021 May 18;53(2):332. Epub 2021 May 18.

Camel Genetic Research Center, Tharb Camel Hospital, Leawaina, Qatar.

Camel contagious ecthyma is a contagious viral disease of camels caused by either Orf virus (ORFV) or camel contagious ecthyma virus (CCEV). It has been previously reported and shown to cause economic losses in some camel-rearing countries in Asia and Africa, but has not been detected in Qatar. The purpose of this study was to identify and genetically characterize the contagious ecthyma causative agent in Qatari dromedary camels between 2017 and 2018. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 May;100(18):e25867

Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Kurume, Japan.

Rationale: Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is an uncommon cutaneous infection usually associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with underlying malignant diseases. Despite its rarity, especially in immunocompetent or nondiagnosed immunodeficiency patients, EG can present as the first manifestation of an underlying immunosuppression.

Patient Concerns: A 42-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital with a 3-day history of a painless red macule on his right forearm and fever. Read More

J Pediatr Intensive Care 2021 Jun 8;10(2):148-151. Epub 2020 May 8.

Division of Pediatric Immunology Diseases, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children's Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

septicemia is rare in previously healthy children. Skin lesions such as subcutaneous nodules and ecthyma gangrenosum may be the first manifestation of infection that have rarely been reported. Herein we reported a previously healthy 6-month-old boy patient who presented with suppurative otitis media, multiple nodules, septic shock, and was identified in cultures of the blood, skin lesions, and purulent material of his ears. Read More

N Engl J Med 2021 Apr 17;384(16):1552. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Intern Med 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka City General Hospital, Japan.

Vet Microbiol 2021 Jun 10;257:109066. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, United States; Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, 240 Farrier Rd, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States; Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, 97105-900, Brazil. Electronic address:

The parapoxvirus orf virus (ORFV) encodes several immunomodulatory proteins (IMPs) that modulate host innate and pro-inflammatory responses to infection. Using the ORFV IA82 strain as the parental virus, recombinant viruses with individual deletions in the genes encoding the IMPs chemokine binding protein (CBP; ORFV112), inhibitor of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor and IL-2 (GIF, ORFV117) and interleukin 10 homologue (vIL-10; ORFV127) were generated and characterized in vitro and in vivo. The replication properties of the individual gene deletion viruses in cell culture was not affected comparing with the parental virus. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2021 Apr 12;21(1):344. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Munich, Munich, Germany.

Background: Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a cutaneous infectious disease characterized by eschar-like skin ulcers typically caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, we report a case of relapsing EG in a patient who had returned from a trip to Colombia, thus establishing EG as an important differential diagnosis of tropical diseases, and demonstrating that even long-term antibiotic treatment can result in only partial remission of EG.

Case Presentation: A 77-year-old man with underlying chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) on ibrutinib treatment was admitted because of a superinfected mosquito bite on the left ear and multiple partially necrotic skin lesions disseminated all over the entire body five days after returning from a trip to Colombia. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2021 Mar 1;9(3):1787-1788. Epub 2021 Jan 1.

Division of General Internal Medicine Tokai University School of Medicine Isehara Japan.

This report has strong implications for carefully examining the common skin signs of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. These signs can warn clinicians of the potential for severe infections such as fatal sepsis. Read More

Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2021 Mar 13. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Servicio de Medicina Interna Hospital Universitario La Paz, Spain.

Late-onset neutropaenia is defined as an absolute neutrophil count of <1.5×10cells/μL starting>4 weeks after the last dose of rituximab, in the absence of other identifiable causes. Late-onset neutropaenia is a rare adverse reaction to rituximab (observed in approximately 5% of patients). Read More

J Hand Surg Am 2021 Mar 1. Epub 2021 Mar 1.

Department of Pathology, University of Health Science, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

Orf-ecthyma contagiosum-is an endemic cutaneous disease caused by parapoxvirus that is transmitted via direct contact with contagious animals. The lesions are located frequently on the hands and fingers. Subungual presentation of orf is very rare. Read More

J Wildl Dis 2021 01;57(1):225-229

Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4Z6.

A wild muskox (Ovibos moschatus) with dermatitis typical of contagious ecthyma had secondary bacterial septicemia with Corynebacterium freneyi that included laminitis, hepatitis, and suppurative encephalitis. This case supports the association between orf virus infection and fatal secondary infections, which may have contributed to population declines on Victoria Island, Canada. Read More

Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2021 Feb 10. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

Princess Amalia Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neonatology, Isala Zwolle, Zwolle, The Netherlands

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2021 Feb 3. Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Departments of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Medical Biology Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology & Pediatric HSCT Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Clinic, Kayseri City Hospital, Health Science University Betül-Ziya Eren Genome and Stem Cell Center (GENKOK), Kayseri Adana Genetic Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center (AGENTEM) Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey Department of Pediatrics, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a rare disease. Autosomal recessive forms of SCN are more frequent in countries where consanguineous marriages are common. In this report, we describe a 54-day-old female with neutropenia who presented with ecthyma gangrenosum. Read More

Postgrad Med J 2021 Feb 5. Epub 2021 Feb 5.

Internal and Hospital Medicine, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA

Curr Opin Infect Dis 2021 Apr;34(2):72-79

Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, Greece.

Purpose Of Review: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen with considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly in vulnerable hosts. Skin manifestations are common, either representing local inoculation or secondary skin seeding following bloodstream infections. As patients with various predisposing conditions are expanding, we sought to review the most recent published evidence regarding epidemiology, risk factors and diagnosis of skin manifestations of P. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Jan 19;14(1). Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Herein, we report a case of a 68-year-old woman receiving ibrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, who presented with septic shock and a progressive necrotic lesion on her nose. Surgical pathology of the nasal lesion revealed evidence of tissue necrosis, and both tissue and blood culture grew A diagnosis of ecthyma gangrenosum was made. Additional investigations also led to the discovery of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Read More

Ann Dermatol Venereol 2021 Mar 16;148(1):63-65. Epub 2021 Jan 16.

Service de Dermatologie, HIA Sainte-Anne, Toulon, France. Electronic address:

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin (Engl Ed) 2021 Jan 10. Epub 2021 Jan 10.

Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, España.

Pediatr Dermatol 2021 Mar 2;38(2):458-460. Epub 2021 Jan 2.

Division of Dermatology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.

Ecthyma gangrenosum is a rare cutaneous infection that occurs classically in immunocompromised patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia and is associated with a high mortality rate. Causative pathogens may exhibit various antibiotic evasion mechanisms, and thus, treatment may be challenging. We present a case of ecthyma gangrenosum in association with an implantable port in which cultures confirmed ten unique strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, highlighting the ability of this pathogen to form biofilms, rapidly mutate and ultimately evade antibiotic therapy. Read More

IDCases 2021 20;23:e01026. Epub 2020 Dec 20.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University and King Saud University Medical City, Saudi Arabia.

Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a well-recognized dermatological condition classically associated with infection, however, the association with other bacteria, especially gram positive, is rare. There are only a few reported cases of EG caused by staphylococcal infection. Here, we report a case in a young patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) presenting with EG secondary to Methicillin Resistant . Read More

Am J Case Rep 2020 Dec 23;21:e927579. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Orf, also known as ecthyma contagiosum, is a zoonotic disease caused by a parapox virus, which is endemic in goats and sheep but rare in camels. Orf is usually transmitted to humans who are in contact with infected animals. The clinical manifestation of the disease and a personal history of contact with an infected animal are sufficient to diagnose orf virus infection. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2020 12 1;20(1):540. Epub 2020 Dec 1.

Intensive Care Unit, Key Medical Laboratory of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Health Bureau, Ministry of Education, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 136#, Zhong Shan 2nd Rord, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.

Background: X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA, OMIM#300,300), caused by mutations in the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene, is a rare monogenic inheritable immunodeficiency disorder. Ecthyma gangrenosum is a cutaneous lesion caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa that typically occurs in patients with XLA and other immunodeficiencies.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 20-month-old boy who presented with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and ecthyma gangrenosum. Read More

Int J Hematol 2021 Jan 24;113(1):3-4. Epub 2020 Nov 24.

Center for Postgraduate Education and Training, National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD), Tokyo, Japan.

Actas Dermosifiliogr (Engl Ed) 2021 Jan 9;112(1):1-13. Epub 2020 Oct 9.

Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario de Cruces, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, España.

Vascular occlusion has multiple, diverse clinical manifestations, some of which can have grave consequences for patients. The causes of vascular occlusion are also highly variable, ranging from thrombi triggered by the uncontrolled activation of coagulation mechanisms, on the one hand, to endothelial dysfunction or occlusion by material extrinsic to the coagulation system on the other. In a 2-part review, we look at the main causes of vascular occlusion and the key clinical and histopathologic findings. Read More

Ann Hematol 2020 Oct 7. Epub 2020 Oct 7.

Department of Radiology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.