J Drugs Dermatol 2017 Jul;16(7):684-689

Ecthyma contagiosum, also called contagious pustular dermatosis, is a zoonotic disease caused by the orf virus (OrfV). As a member of the poxviridae family and parapoxvirus genus, this dermatotropic virus has developed an array of mechanisms by which to evade the host immune system in both humans and animals. The ubiquitousness of this pathogen in sheep, goats, and deer has led to the development of orf in diverse areas around the world. Read More

Cutis 2017 May;99(5):E19-E21

Department of Dermatology, Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Turkey.

Orf is a zoonotic infection caused by a parapoxvirus and is endemic in sheep and goats. It may be transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected animals. We report a case of a giant orf in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which proliferated dramatically after surgical excision and resolved after systemic interferon alfa-2a injections. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 Jun 16;7(1):3734. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

German Center for Infection Research, Hamburg - Borstel - Lübeck - Riems, Germany.

We recovered the first full-length poxvirus genome, including the terminal hairpin region, directly from complex clinical material using a combination of second generation short read and third generation nanopore sequencing technologies. The complete viral genome sequence was directly recovered from a skin lesion of a grey seal thereby preventing sequence changes due to in vitro passaging of the virus. Subsequent analysis of the proteins encoded by this virus identified genes specific for skin adaptation and pathogenesis of parapoxviruses. Read More

Recent Pat Antiinfect Drug Discov 2017 Jun 1. Epub 2017 Jun 1.

Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine - Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Kayseri, 38039. Turkey.

Background: Orf virus is a DNA virus that belongs to the Parapoxvirus genus. The virus is a causative agent of orf in humans or contagious ecthyma in animals which is mostly seen in sheep, goat and cattle.

Discussion: Orf is an emerging zoonosis with an increasing number of worldwide outbreaks that have been reported. Read More

Rev Med Virol 2017 Jul 8;27(4). Epub 2017 May 8.

Dermatology Department, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Orf virus (ORFV) is an important pathogen responsible for a highly contagious zoonotic viral infection that threatens those who handle sheep and goats. Orf virus is the prototype of the Parapoxvirus genus, and its resilience in the environment and ability to reinfect its host has contributed to the spread and maintenance of the infection in many species. In healthy humans, the disease usually resolves spontaneously within 3 to 6 weeks. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2017 May;28(3):e234-e235

*Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gaziantep 25 Aralik State Hospital, Gaziantep †National Tularemia Reference Laboratory, Public Health Institution of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey.

Orf is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by parapoxvirus. Orf lesions are typically seen on the hand, but they have rarely been reported on the nose. Herein, the authors report a rare patient of an orf lesion on the nose of a 52-year-old man after the Muslim celebration of the feast of the sacrifice. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2017 Apr 1:1040638717704480. Epub 2017 Apr 1.

California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, San Bernardino Laboratory (Negrão Watanabe), School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA.

We describe 3 outbreaks of superficial dermatitis caused by bovine herpesvirus 2 (BoHV-2) in dairy breed calves. Clinically, all of the affected calves were 12-26 d of age, had alopecia and crusts on the face and ears, and were non-pruritic and afebrile. Affected animals recovered spontaneously without any treatment within 2-4 wk after onset of clinical signs based on 1 herd with follow up. Read More

Onderstepoort J Vet Res 2017 Mar 24;84(1):e1-e5. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Department of Pathobiology, Shiraz University.

Contagious ecthyma is a highly contagious disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants such as sheep, goats and camels. The identification and characterisation of a parapoxvirus (PPV) infecting camels is described here. The virus was detected in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) from Kerman and Shiraz in Iran. Read More

Arch Virol 2017 Aug 4;162(8):2363-2367. Epub 2017 Apr 4.

Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, PO Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia.

Orf or contagious ecthyma is a neglected and economically important zoonotic disease caused by a dermatotropic parapoxvirus that commonly affects domestic small ruminants. Although orf is globally distributed, there is a paucity of information on the disease in many African countries. Here, a suspected severe outbreak of orf in goats at a farm in Lusaka was investigated. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2017 Jul 20;29(4):499-507. Epub 2016 Dec 20.

Reagents and Vaccines Services Section (Das, Ward, Lowe, Xu, Jia), Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY.

Parapoxviruses (PaPVs) cause widespread infections in ruminants worldwide. All PaPVs are zoonotic and may infect humans after direct or indirect contact with infected animals. Herein we report the development and validation of a highly sensitive real-time PCR assay for rapid detection of PaPVs. Read More

Br J Dermatol 2017 Mar 24. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Dermatology Department, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France.

Orf is a DNA parapoxvirus transmitted to humans by contact with infected goats and sheep. Many complications have been reported after Orf infection including erythema multiforme. A few cases of auto-immune bullous dermatosis complicating Orf disease have been reported to date, usually characterized by tense blisters eruptions with or without mucosal involvement, linear deposition of C3, IgG and/or IgA along the basement membrane and negativity of indirect immunofluorescence analysis and ELISA assays (performed in 4 of 11 reported cases) against target antigens of bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid or epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, except one case of mucosal pemphigoid with antilaminin-332 antibodies. Read More

Sci Rep 2017 Feb 20;7:42892. Epub 2017 Feb 20.

Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria.

Poxviruses belonging to the Orthopoxvirus, Capripoxvirus and Parapoxvirus genera share common host species and create a challenge for diagnosis. Here, we developed a novel multiplex PCR method for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of eight poxviruses, belonging to three genera: cowpox virus (CPXV) and camelpox virus (CMLV) [genus Orthopoxvirus]; goatpox virus (GTPV), sheeppox virus (SPPV) and lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) [genus Capripoxvirus]; orf virus (ORFV), pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) and bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) [genus Parapoxvirus]. The assay is based on high-resolution melting curve analysis (HRMCA) of PCR amplicons produced using genus specific primer pairs and dsDNA binding dye. Read More

Front Microbiol 2017 24;8:46. Epub 2017 Jan 24.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago Dunedin, New Zealand.

Orf virus (ORFV) is the type species of the Parapoxvirus genus of the family Poxviridae and infects sheep and goats, often around the mouth, resulting in acute pustular skin lesions. ORFV encodes several secreted immunomodulators including a broad-spectrum chemokine binding protein (CBP). Chemokines are a large family of secreted chemotactic proteins that activate and regulate inflammation induced leukocyte recruitment to sites of infection. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2017 Jan 23. Epub 2017 Jan 23.

*Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gaziantep 25 Aralik State Hospital, Gaziantep †National Tularemia Reference Laboratory, Public Health Institution of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey.

Orf is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by parapoxvirus. Orf lesions are typically seen on the hand, but they have rarely been reported on the nose. Herein, the authors report a rare patient of an orf lesion on the nose of a 52-year-old man after the Muslim celebration of the feast of the sacrifice. Read More

Arch Virol 2017 Apr 19;162(4):953-962. Epub 2016 Dec 19.

ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Disease Informatics (NIVEDI), Bengaluru, 560 064, Karnataka, India.

Orf, or contagious ecthyma, a highly contagious transboundary disease of sheep and goats, is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (ORFV) belonging to the genus Parapoxvirus of the family Poxviridae. The ORFV genome encodes the major envelope proteins B2L and F1L, which have been found to be highly immunogenic and have multiple functional characteristics. In order to investigate the functional properties of the B2L protein, in this study, the B2L gene of ORFV strain 59/05, encoding recombinant mature B2L (aa 1M-D334), was produced as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Read More

PLoS One 2016 9;11(12):e0168007. Epub 2016 Dec 9.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) is a Parapoxvirus that induces acute pustular skin lesions in cattle and is transmissible to humans. Previous studies have shown that BPSV encodes a distinctive chemokine-binding protein (CBP). Chemokines are critically involved in the trafficking of immune cells to sites of inflammation and infected tissue, suggesting that the CBP plays a role in immune evasion by preventing immune cells reaching sites of infection. Read More

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2016 Dec 29;49:70-75. Epub 2016 Sep 29.

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address:

In 2011, an outbreak of severe vesicular disease occurred in the state of Pará, Amazon region. Besides proliferative or verrucous lesions, cattle showed atypical clinical signs such as diarrhea and leading to death. The animals were submitted to clinical, pathological and molecular diagnosis, and laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV), a Parapoxvirus genus member, and have also found Bovine viral diarrhea virus-1 (BVDV-1), probably causing persistent infection. Read More

J Virol 2017 Jan 16;91(1). Epub 2016 Dec 16.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is a transcriptional activator with a central role in regulating cellular responses to hypoxia. It is also emerging as a major target for viral manipulation of the cellular environment. Under normoxic conditions, HIF is tightly suppressed by the activity of oxygen-dependent prolyl and asparaginyl hydroxylases. Read More

J Virol Methods 2017 Jan 25;239:38-41. Epub 2016 Oct 25.

Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, building 63A, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, zip-code 97105-900, Brazil. Electronic address:

Exanthematic and papulo-vesicular lesions in the udder and teats of milking cows are fairly common in some Brazilian dairies, especially those with poor sanitary conditions and hand milking. The orthopoxvirus Vaccinia virus (VACV) and the parapoxviruses Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) and Bovine popular stomatitis virus (BPSV) have been frequently associated with such conditions. Elsewhere, Bovine herpesvirus 2 (BoHV-2) has also been associated with similar clinical signs. Read More

Vet Q 2017 Dec 8;37(1):16-22. Epub 2016 Nov 8.

a Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário de Minhas Gerais , Pedro Leopoldo , Minas Gerais , Brazil.

Background: Parapoxviruses are zoonotic viruses that infect cattle, goats and sheep; there have also been reports of infections in camels, domestic cats and seals.

Objective: The objective of this report was to describe a case of vesicular disease caused by pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Brazil.

Animals: Sixty buffalo less than 6 months old exhibited ulcers and widespread peeling of the tongue epithelium. Read More

J Virol Methods 2016 Dec 14;238:42-47. Epub 2016 Oct 14.

Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan. Electronic address:

Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) causes pustular cutaneous disease in cattle worldwide. This paper describes the development of a specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay to detect BPSV which did not cross-react with other parapoxviruses. To assess analytical sensitivity of this LAMP assay, DNA was extracted from serially diluted BPSV from which the infectious titer was determined by a novel assay based on calf kidney epithelial cells. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2016 Nov;38(11):793-801

*Resident, Department of Pathology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; †Dermatologist, Dermatopathologie Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, Germany; ‡Dermatologist, Department of Pathology, Medical School, Universidad Complutense, Instituto i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; and §Pathologist, Department of Pathology, Medical School, Universidad Complutense, Instituto i+12, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.

Infectious angiogenesis is the biological response of neoangiogenesis induced by infectious organisms. The authors present 3 exemplary entities which show paradigmatic clinico-pathological settings of infectious angiogenesis: Bacillary angiomatosis, Orf (ecthyma contagiosum), and Kaposi sarcoma. The authors review the literature and elucidate etiopathogenetic pathways leading to the phenomenon of neovascularization stimulated by infectious organisms. Read More

Front Microbiol 2016 13;7:1389. Epub 2016 Sep 13.

Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, China.

Orf virus (ORFV), a member of Parapoxvirus, has evolved various strategies to modulate the immune responses of host cells. The ORFV-encoded protein ORFV002, a regulator factor, has been found to inhibit the acetylation of NF-κB-p65 by blocking phosphorylation of NF-κB-p65 at Ser(276) and also to disrupt the binding of NF-κB-p65 and p300. To explore the mechanism by which ORFV002 regulates NF-κB signaling, the understanding of ORFV002 potential binding partners in host cells is critical. Read More

Res Vet Sci 2016 Oct 24;108:93-7. Epub 2016 Aug 24.

Key Laboratory of Animal Virology of Ministry of Agriculture/State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology/Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730046, China. Electronic address:

Orf virus (ORFV) causes contagious ecthyma, a non-systemic skin disease in sheep and goat. Bioinformatics analysis showed that ORFV125 has Bcl-2-like homologous domain and 3D structurally, it is generally known that Bcl-2 protein is known to be a key protein to control cell apoptosis. Maybe ORFV125 act as a Bcl-2-like manner to control cell apoptosis, but its exact function isn't very clear. Read More

Vet Microbiol 2016 Sep 4;193:22-7. Epub 2016 Aug 4.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, 5333 Xi'an Road, Changchun 130062, China. Electronic address:

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process of the cell, which has been described to be involved in the development of various viral diseases. However, the role of autophagy in Orf virus (ORFV) replication remains unknown. In this study, we provide the first evidence that ORFV infection triggered autophagy in primary ovine fetal turbinate cells (OFTu) based on the appearance of abundant double- and single-membrane vesicles, the accumulation of LC3 fluorescent puncta, the enhancement of LC3-I/-II conversion, and autophagic flux. Read More

J Gen Virol 2016 Oct 24;97(10):2719-2731. Epub 2016 Aug 24.

1​Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.

The parapoxvirus Orf virus (ORFV), has long been recognized for its immunomodulatory properties in permissive and non-permissive animal species. Here, a new recombinant ORFV expressing the full-length spike (S) protein of Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was generated and its immunogenicity and protective efficacy were evaluated in pigs. The PEDV S was inserted into the ORFV121 gene locus, an immunomodulatory gene that inhibits activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway and contributes to ORFV virulence in the natural host. Read More

Vet Dermatol 2016 Oct 22;27(5):434-e114. Epub 2016 Aug 22.

Comparative Tissue Healing Laboratory, Département de biomédecine vétérinaire, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, C.P. 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada, J2S 7C6.

Background: Wounds in horses often exhibit sustained inflammation and inefficient vascularization, leading to excessive fibrosis and clinical complications such as "proud flesh". Orf virus-derived proteins, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-E and interleukin (ovIL)-10, enhance angiogenesis and control inflammation and fibrosis in skin wounds of laboratory animals.

Hypothesis/objectives: The study aimed to determine if equine dermal cells respond to VEGF-E and ovIL-10. Read More

Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr 2016 Jul-Aug;129(7-8):310-7

In this study an outbreak with Sheeppox virus (SPPV) and Orf virus (ORFV) in one sheep herd in the Qalubia province, Egypt, was investigated. Both, SPPV and ORFV caused clinically manifest infections among sheep. The affected sheep showed skin lesions around the mouth or all over the body. Read More

An Acad Bras Cienc 2016 Sep 4;88(3):1451-7. Epub 2016 Aug 4.

Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioexperimentação, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Laboratório de Microbiologia e Imunologia Avançada, Prédio G3, Campus I, São José, BR 285, Km 292, 99052-900 Passo Fundo, RS, Brasil.

Molecules with immune modulating activity are ubiquitously distributed in nature and their impact on aquaculture has been exploited in order to increase fish resistance to pathogens. Here, we investigated the effect of inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iPPVO) on blood cells and innate and acquired immune response of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). iPPVO inoculation had no effect on respiratory burst activity; however, following iPPVO inoculation, we observed a significant decrease on circulating monocytes concomitantly with an increased number of heterophilic granulocytes and thrombocytes, which are the main cells involved in innate immunity and provide connection with acquired immunity. Read More

Dermatopathology (Basel) 2016 Apr-Jun;3(2):55-60. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

Department of Dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA; Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA.

The virus, which causes orf and induces acute pustular skin lesions in sheep and goats, is transmissible to humans yet is rarely observed in North America. We present a case of a 65-year-old female farmer from Connecticut who contracted orf from her sheep. The clinical and histopathologic features, important to arrive at the correct diagnosis of this uncommon yet important infection, are described. Read More

J Infect Dis 2016 Oct 24;214(8):1171-4. Epub 2016 Jul 24.

Poxvirus and Rabies Branch.

We describe a burn patient who developed skin lesions on her skin-graft harvest and skin-graft recipient (burn) sites. Orf virus infection was confirmed by a combination of diagnostic assays, including molecular tests, immunohistochemical analysis, pathologic analysis, and electron microscopy. DNA sequence analysis grouped this orf virus isolate among isolates from India. Read More

Virusdisease 2016 Jun 25;27(2):209-10. Epub 2016 Feb 25.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Ecthyma contagiosum is caused by the orf virus, a member of the genus Parapoxvirus in the family Poxviridae. Humans acquire the infection from contact with infected or recently vaccinated animals in conjunction with skin trauma. In this study, we report two cases of orf infection in two women who had contact with animals. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2016 Jul;22(7):1242-5

A horse in Finland exhibited generalized granulomatous inflammation and severe proliferative dermatitis. After euthanization, we detected poxvirus DNA from a skin lesion sample. The virus sequence grouped with parapoxviruses, closely resembling a novel poxvirus detected in humans in the United States after horse contact. Read More

J Wildl Dis 2016 Jul 10;52(3):719-24. Epub 2016 Jun 10.

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

An adult male muskox ( Ovibos moschatus ), harvested on 26 August 2014 on Victoria Island, Nunavut, in the Canadian Arctic, had proliferative dermatitis on the muzzle and fetlocks suggestive of contagious ecthyma or orf (Parapoxvirus). Histopathologic features of the lesions were consistent with this diagnosis. Orf virus DNA, phylogenetically similar to an isolate from a captive muskox of the Minnesota Zoo, US, was detected in the lesions by PCR using Parapoxvirus primers. Read More

BMJ 2016 May 25;353:i2680. Epub 2016 May 25.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough SL2 4L, UK.

Virol J 2016 May 13;13:79. Epub 2016 May 13.

Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP769, Franceville, Gabon.

Background: Orf or contagious ecthyma is a zoonotic viral infection with a potential serious health threat for the small ruminants industry as well as humans. It is currently emerging in new territories.

Results: Eight suspected clinical cases of pustular dermatitis in goats occurred in the rural area of Tebe, in south-eastern Gabon, in January 2013. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2016 Jul 6;28(4):377-81. Epub 2016 May 6.

Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário de Minas Gerais, Pedro Leopoldo, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Laguardia-Nascimento, Sales, Gasparini, de Souza, Rivetti Júnior, Camargos, Fonseca Júnior)Instituto de Defesa Agropecuária do Estado de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil (da Silva, Souza, Carani)Agência de Defesa Agropecuária e Florestal Do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil (Santos)

Vesicular diseases are of high importance for livestock, primarily because of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which is a high-morbidity disease that generates direct losses caused by low milk production, weight loss, and indirect losses because of the need for sanitary barriers. Other vesicular diseases are also of importance for livestock because of direct impacts or because their clinical signs may be confused with those of FMD. We report herein the detection of multiple infections in cattle with suspected vesicular disease in the Brazilian states of Amazonas (AM), Mato Grosso (MT), and Roraima. Read More

Front Microbiol 2016 20;7:538. Epub 2016 Apr 20.

Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Biotechnology, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical UniversityGuangzhou, China.

The orf virus (ORFV) is among the parapoxvirus genus of the poxviridae family, but little is known about the proteolytic pathways of ORFV encoding proteins. By contrast, the proteolysis mechanism of the vaccinia virus (VV) has been extensively explored. Vaccinia virus core protein P4a undergoes a proteolytic process that takes place at a conserved cleavage site Ala-Gly-X (where X is any amino acid) and participates in virus assembly. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2016 May;74(5):e95-6

Dermatology Department, Hospital Universitario "Dr Jose Eleuterio Gonzalez," Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Nuevo León, Mexico. Electronic address:

Am J Vet Res 2016 Apr;77(4):383-7

Objective: To investigate the presence of parapoxvirus (PPV) in cattle without clinical signs of infection and in farm environments of PPV-infected cattle.

Animals: 28 calves without clinical signs of PPV infection on 2 farms and 11 clinically affected calves on 6 farms.

Procedures: 164 oral swab samples were collected at regular intervals from 28 calves without clinical signs of PPV infection, and 11 swab samples were collected from 11 clinically affected calves. Read More

Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2016 21;44(2):129-34. Epub 2016 Mar 21.

Prof. Dr. Katrin Hartmann, Medizinische Kleintierklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 München, E-Mail:

Paramunity inducers have been used to treat small animals for decades. Paramunity inducers are based on attenuated and inactivated poxviruses (avipox virus and parapox virus). Their applications include both therapeutic and prophylactic use in various diseases. Read More

Virol J 2016 Mar 19;13:46. Epub 2016 Mar 19.

State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Grazing Animal Diseases of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.

Background: Orf virus (ORFV) is the causative agent of a severe infectious skin disease (also known as contagious ecthyma) in goats, sheep and other small ruminants. Importantly, ORFV also infect humans which causes a public health concern in the context of changing environment and increase in human populations. The rapid detection is critical in effective control of the disease and urgently needed. Read More

Virol J 2016 Feb 29;13:34. Epub 2016 Feb 29.

Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400, Vienna, Austria.

Background: Orf is a contagious disease of sheep, goats and wild ungulates caused by orf virus (ORFV) a member of the genus Parapoxvirus, Poxviridae family. Although orf is endemic in Ethiopia, little attention has been given so far as it is not a notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health. In this work, we have investigated orf outbreaks representing five different geographical locations of Ethiopia, in Amba Giorgis, Gondar zuria, Adet, Debre zeit and Adami Tulu, between 2008 and 2013. Read More

Virol Sin 2016 Jun;31(3):270-3

Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Diskapi, 06110, Turkey.

Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao 2016 Jan;36(1):67-72

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China.E-mail:

Objective: To construct a universal, highly attenuated orf virus expression vector for exogenous genes using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as the reporter gene.

Methods: The flanking regions of the ORFV132 of orf virus DNA were amplified by PCR to construct the shuttle plasmid pSPV-132LF-EGFP-132RF. The shuttle plasmid was transfected into OFTu cells and GFP was incorporated into orf virus IA82Delta 121 by homologous recombination. Read More

Rev Med Brux 2015 Sep-Oct;36(5):439-43

In immunocompromised patient, parapoxvirus infection can be extensively necrotic and recurrent evolution. We describe a case of Orf nodule in a liver transplanted woman. We will consider the therapeutic options in case of infections by parapox in immunosuppressive patients, as described in the medical literature. Read More

Virus Res 2016 Feb 28;213:230-7. Epub 2015 Dec 28.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Electronic address:

Orf virus (ORFV) is a zoonotic parapoxvirus that causes pustular dermatitis of sheep, and occasionally humans. Despite causing sustained infections, ORFV induces only a transient increase in pro-inflammatory signalling and the trafficking of innate immune cells within the skin seems to be impaired. An explanation for this tempered response to ORFV infection may lie in its expression of a homolog of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-10. Read More

Antiviral Res 2016 Feb 23;126:108-16. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Pox Virus Laboratory, Division of Virology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Regional Campus, Mukteswar, Nainital (District) 263138, Uttarakhand (UK), India.

Buffalopox virus, a zoonotic Indian vaccinia-like virus, is responsible for contagious disease affecting mainly buffaloes, cattle and humans. H3L gene, encoding for an immunodominant major envelope protein of intracellular mature virion of orthopoxviruses, is highly conserved and found to elicit neutralizing antibodies. Therefore in the present study, the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the recombinant H3L protein of buffalopox virus in laboratory animal models has been evaluated. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2016 Jan 23;28(1):59-64. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Bologna, Italy (Scagliarini, Casà, Gallina, Savini)Acobiom, Biopôle Euromédecine II, Montpellier Cedex 4, France (Trentin, Morent, Piquemal)Department of Virology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy (Lavazza)Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy (Puleio, Buttaci, Cannella, Purpari, Di Marco, Guercio).

Our study describes a newly developed mini-array test for the rapid detection of poxviruses in animals and humans. The method is based on detection that combines target nucleic acid amplification by polymerase chain reaction and specific hybridization, using enzyme-linked antibodies, allowing identification of zoonotic orthopoxviruses and parapoxviruses in animal and human biological samples. With 100% specificity, the test rules out the possibility of cross-reactions with viral agents causing look-alike diseases. Read More

Trop Biomed 2015 Jun;32(2):335-43

Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Contagious ecthyma, also known as Orf, is a common viral skin disease of sheep and goats caused by a Parapoxvirus. This research was conducted with the aims of histopathological study and genetic analysis of Orf virus with PCR technique based on F1L gene in 50 sheep and goats suspicious of contagious ecthyma in affected areas of Shiraz suburb. All 50 contagious ecthyma-like tissue samples were maintained in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned into 5μm slices and dyed with hematoxylin-eosine. Read More