Orf virus in human, confirmation in case report from Chile

CARLOS FLORES OLIVARES; GONZALEZ ALTAMIRANDA E; VERNA ANDREA; ANDREA PERALTA; MADARIAGA CAROLINA; ODEON ANSELMO; CANTON GERMAN

REVISTA CHILENA DE INFECTOLOGíA

SOC CHILENA INFECTOLOGIA

Año: 2017

0716-1018

Infection with the orf virus, also known as contagious ecthyma, is recognized as an occupational zoonosisworldwide. It is diagnosed by cutaneous lesions that progress rapidly from macules to papules, vesicles andpustules. The clinical case of a student of veterinary medicine who had had contact with goats, clinically healthyand without apparent lesions, which occured 19 days ago, is reported. She presented two vesicular lesions thatcoalesced to form a larger lesion surrounded by an erythematous halo. The lesions were compatible with the classicalpresentation of those produced by the orf virus in humans. The presence of the orf virus was confirmed by anested PCR from biopsy tissue. It is one of the first cases confirmed by molecular techniques in humans in Chile.