title: Cowpox after a cat scratch - case report from Poland.
abstract: Cowpox in humans is a rare zoonotic disease; its recognition is therefore problematic due to the lack of clinical experience. The differential diagnosis includes other poxvirus infections and also infections with herpesviruses or selected bacteria. The clinical course can be complicated and the improvement may take weeks. Late diagnosis is one of the causes of unnecessary combined antibiotic therapy or surgical intervention. A case of cowpox after a cat scratch in a 15-year-old girl is presented, with a summary of the available clinical data on cowpox infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoonotic and Tropical Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Świtaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoonotic and Tropical Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kajfasz
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Highly Pathogenic Viruses, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nitsche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002415:Cats; D015605:Cowpox / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D015608:Cowpox virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011044:Poland; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents