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

Case Rep Infect Dis. 2015:2015:105484. doi: 10.1155/2015/105484. Epub 2015 Jul 29.

Abstract

Parapoxvirus infection in sheep and goats is usually referred to as contagious pustular dermatitis/ecthyma, or orf, and the corresponding human infection is referred to as orf. 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.