Ecthyma contagiosum (orf)--report of a human case from the United Arab Emirates and review of the literature.
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Al-Salam
Suhail
S
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Nowotny
Norbert
N
Sohail
Mohammed Rizwan
MR
Kolodziejek
Jolanta
J
Berger
Thomas G
TG
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D004474:Ecthyma, Contagious / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D011212:Poxviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep / Q000821:virology*; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000635:transmission*; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D015047:Zoonoses
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral