Cowpox with Severe Generalized Eruption, Finland

Abstract

Cowpox with a severe, generalized eruption was diagnosed in an atopic 4-year-old girl by electron microscopy, virus isolation, polymerase chain reaction, and immunoglobulin (Ig) M and low-avidity IgG antibodies. The hemagglutinin gene of the isolate clustered with a Russian cowpox virus strain, and more distantly, with other cowpox and vaccinia virus strains. The patient’s dog had orthopoxvirus-specific antibodies, indicating a possible transmission route.

Detection of human orthopoxvirus infections and differentiation of smallpox virus with real‐time PCR

“…They were used to optimize the PCR reaction and to test the sensitivity of the LightCycler PCR and its capability to distinguish variola virus from other OPVs. Vero cells (ATCC CCL81) were infected with the cowpox virus strain Tohmajä rvi [Pelkonen et al, 2003] and vaccinia virus strain Western Reserve. Cells were harvested after 2 days of incubation and DNA was extracted with Magna Pure Total Nucleic Acid Isolation kit (Roche Applied Science, Indianapolis, IN).…”

“…The cowpox virus sample was from skin lesion of a 4-year-old girl with generalized eruption [Pelkonen et al, 2003]. The vaccinia virus sample was from lesions of smallpoxvaccinated patient (55-year-old male) who obtained the virus from the vaccine inoculation site to eyelid during a small efficacy trial of the stored Finnish vaccinia virus stocks in 2003.…”

“…Positive result was obtained at the crossing point C p ¼ 21. Sample of the patient's skin lesion [Pelkonen et al, 2003] gave a positive result after the several years of storage in a À708C. Otherwise the sample was analyzed by the protocol described here but without the sequencing confirmation.…”

“…Cowpox virus is endemic in European wild rodents [Bennett et al, 1997;Chantrey et al, 1999] but rarely causes severe infection in human. Most severe cases have been reported in eczematous and immunosuppressed individuals [Baxby et al, 1994;Tryland et al, 1998;Wienecke et al, 2000;Pelkonen et al, 2003]. Monkeypox virus causes sporadic smallpox-like disease which is endemic in the rainforests of central and western Africa.…”

Cowpox virus infection from pet rat

“…More severe courses have been described in patients with atopic dermatitis [9], Darier's disease [10], and systemic corticosteroid therapy [4]. Fatal infections were reported in a patient with atopic dermatitis and allergic bronchial asthma who was receiving systemic steroids at the time of infection [11] and in a 17-year-old boy after kidney transplantation [12].…”