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| Fig. 25.6 Classic lesions of orf demonstrating a central ulceration and necrotic vesiculobullous edge |
Human orf, or ecthyma contagiosum, is caused by a parapoxvirus that is usually contracted by direct exposure to infected, or recently vaccinated, sheep or goats. Milkers’ nodules are caused by a closely related virus found in cows. The lesions of both orf and milkers’ nodules are identical, consisting of dome-shaped, firm bullae that develop an umbilicated crust (Fig. 25-6). One to several lesions develop, usually on the hands and forearms. They generally resolve without therapy in 4 to 6 weeks.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Orf virus infection in humans—New York, Illinois, California, and Tennessee, 2004–2005,
MMWR 55(3):65–68, 2006.
