SKIN CONDITION IN EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION OF SHEEP WITH CONTAGIOUS DERMATITIS

As a result of the study, it was found that with contagious pustular dermatitis, the damage affects the epidermis and dermis of the skin. The most severe damage is recorded in the epidermis on day 9, fragments of organelles and viroplast clusters are observed in the cytoplasm. On the 22nd day, regenerative and regenerative processes prevail in the epidermis and dermis, in the form of proliferation, cell differentiation and organization of intercellular substance.

Do UK sheep farmers use orf vaccine correctly and could their vaccination strategy affect vaccine efficacy?

Orf, a parapoxvirus, is a zoonosis causing a contagious pustular dermatitis, and has a high morbidity in sheep worldwide. Despite a vaccine being available, orf prevalence in England is estimated to be 2 per cent in ewes and 20 per cent in lambs​​. There is concern that farmers are not complying with the vaccination guidelines and therefore the objective of this study was to investigate if orf vaccine is used correctly on sheep farms in the UK and to identify barriers and motivators of sheep farmers to use the vaccine. The survey was completed by 570 respondents. The results show several areas of concern; only 27 per cent of respondents used the correct site (axilla), 37 per cent of respondents would use orf vaccine up to a week after opening a vial (shelf life is eight hours), 33 per cent of respondents would vaccinate their ewes too close to lambing and 73 per cent of respondents did not separate vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals (both leading to infection risk for non-vaccinated animals). When vaccinating, only 53 per cent of respondents were wearing gloves and 31 per cent washed their hands just before and immediately after vaccination. Results demonstrate that orf vaccination is not carried out correctly on all UK sheep farms, which is likely to affect vaccine efficacy. A concern around vaccine efficacy, the ‘hassle’ of the scratch administration, the ‘risk of making it worse’ and the zoonotic risk when vaccinating were the most common barriers for using orf vaccine, highlighting the importance of veterinary advice when prescribing orf vaccine.

Characteristics analysis of Orf virus from goats to human

Contagious pustular dermatitis (orf) is an exanthemous disease affecting sheep and goats primarily. As a zoonotic infectious disease caused by parapoxvirus, orf should be managed not only in animals but also in humans. In this study, the typical orf clinical symptoms in goat and humans were observed. Human and goat samples were drawn. The Orf virus (orfv) was identified using an electron microscope, and PCR was used to amplify the target for B2L gene sequence. Molecular analysis of other B2L gene sequences downloaded from GenBank was performed by Mega4 soft. Results indicated that a 21-year old girl who worked in a goat farmcontacted orfv infection from infected goats directly. Eleven amino acid (AA) mutations were detected in the goat orfv transmitted to human orfv. Phylogenetic analysis showed that human orfv in this study was closely related genetically to FJ-SJ2 (KC568397), which was isolated from Fujian province 2012. The results facilitate the development of programs to control Orf virus infections not only in goats but also in humans.

A Case of Orf Disease Complicated with Erythema Multiforme and Bullous Pemphigoid-Like Eruptions

Parapoxvirus infection in sheep and goats is usually referred to ascontagious pustular dermatitis/ecthyma, ororf, and the corresponding human infection is referred to asorf. In humans, after a brief incubation period of 3 to 5 days, lesions begin as pruritic erythematous macules and then rise to form papules, often with a target appearance. Lesions become nodular or vesicular, and orf lesions often ulcerate after 14 to 21 days. Erythema multiforme and bullous pemphigoid have been associated with parapoxvirus infections and they are rare complications of orf disease. In this case report, we presented a 36-year-old woman with history of contact with sheep, developing a typical orf lesion that is complicated with erythema multiforme and bullous pemphigoid-like eruptions.