title: [Cowpox virus infection in an alpaca (Vicugna pacos) - clinical symptoms, laboratory diagnostic findings and pathological changes].
abstract: Orthopoxvirus infections appear to be rare in South American Camelids, because only a few cases have been reported in the literature. Based on a generalized infection with cowpox virus in an alpaca, the clinical symptoms, laboratory diagnostic findings and the pathological changes are described. The case history showed a long treatment because of chronic skin lesions. The main clinical symptom was miliary papules over the entire skin. Furthermore, a bilateral mucopurulent conjunctivitis occurred as well as excessive salivation due to a severe erosive-ulcerative stomatitis. Although the animal received intensive treatment, it died 8 days after admission to the clinic. During necropsy, an erosive-ulcerative laryngitis as well as a necrotising pneumonia and lymphadenitis were observed. Histopathological examination of representative organ samples led to the diagnosis of a suspected orthopoxvirus infection. Electron microscopy and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of tissue samples confirmed this diagnosis. The virus could be isolated in tissue culture and a PCR with subsequent nucleotide sequencing identified cowpox virus as the causative agent for this generalised infection.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Daniela Goerigk, Funktionseinheit Klauentiere, Veterinärmedizinische Fakultät, der Universität Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 11, 04103 Leipzig, E-Mail: goerigk@vetmed.uni-leipzig.de.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goerigk
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theuß
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pfeffer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konrath
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalthoff
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Woll
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Vahlenkamp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Starke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002161:Camelids, New World / Q000821:virology*; D015605:Cowpox / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D015608:Cowpox virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
keywords: South American Camelids; dermatitis; orthopoxvirus; qPCR; stomatitis