ORF–An Uncommon Human Presentation of a Rare Virus

Yoav Gronovich, Jacob Golan

Abstract

Orf is a cylindrical virus which belongs to the Parapoxivirus genus. This virus is endemic to most countries in the world and is hosted by small ruminant. Most human’s Orf infections appear as ulcerating skin lesions following penetrating contact with the affected animal. The lesions typically appear as solitary papules on the hands, fingers and forearms. In most cases reported in the literature, the affected patient had been directly in contact with the host animal. Our unique case, is the first report in the literature where the human infection was not caused by direct contact with the animal host. Moreover, it affected highly unusual sites, like the neck and the chest.