Camelpox, an emerging orthopox viral disease

Abstract

Camelpox is considered as emerging public health problem during this decade due to increased reported cases and outbreaks in camels. Camelpox is a contagious, often sporadic, and notifiable skin disease of camelids and is socio-economically significant as it incurs considerable loss in terms of morbidity, mortality, loss of weight and reduction in milk yield and confined to camel-rearing countries. The causative agent, camelpox virus (CMLV) is genetically closely related to variola virus and has gained much attention from researchers due to its recent emergence in human. The virus carrying genes responsible for host immune evasion mechanisms owing to the threat posed by potential bio-warfare agents. Although the disease can be diagnosed based on clinical features, the similar confounding skin lesions necessitate identification, detection and differentiation of the CMLV by molecular techniques. Vaccines are available in some countries and the available live attenuated vaccine provides long-lasting immunity. Further, novel highly sensitive and specific techniques would be useful in the identification of emerging and re-emerging virus, thereby therapeutic, prophylactic, preventive measures would be applied in time to curtail further spread of camelpox like other zoonotic diseases. This review provide overview of the camelpox particularly on its epidemiology, pathogenesis and biology of the disease, diagnostic approaches and control measures.

Camelpox and Buffalopox: Two Emerging and Re-emerging Orthopox Viral Diseases of India

“…The infection is endemic in the Middle East countries (Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen), in Asia (India, Pakistan and Afghanistan) in Africa (Kenya, Egypt, Algeria, Somalia, Mauretania, Ethiopia, Oman, Sudan Nigeria and Morocco) and in the southern parts of former USSR (Chauhan and Kaushik, 1987;Hafez et al, 1992;Renner-Muller et al, 1995;Khanna et al, 1996;Marodam et al, 2006;Duraffour et al, 2011;Balamurugan et al, 2013). Lately, the outbreaks…”

“…Prevention and control measures against sporadic cases of camelpox infection are very important in countries like India (Balamurugan et al, 2013). The restriction of animal movement, sanitary measures and isolation of the infected animals from healthier ones restrict the spread of the infection.…”

Camelidae

“…Mucous membranes, including the lips, and oral and nasal cavities, can be affected and infection may also spread to other parts of the body including the genitalia and mammary gland. Healing can take up to 4-6 weeks and can leave scars or cause multifocal alopecia (Balamurugan et al, 2013). Lesions are most commonly found in the skin, but a disseminated form may also occur in young animals stressed by weaning or poor husbandry.…”

40 Years without Smallpox

“…Other zoonotic orthopoxvirus species typically cause sporadic human infections (small-scale outbreaks) with a benign outcome in most cases [6, 9, 12]. However, it is known that human infection with CPXV can lead to a generalized disease resembling smallpox with a lethal outcome in immunodeficient individuals [47, 48].…”