Cutaneous form of bovine papular stomatitis in man
K. F. Bowman, R. T. Barbery, L. J. Swango and P. R. Schnurrenberger
A cutaneous form of bovine papular stomatitis (BPS) infection was diagnosed
in eight persons at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University,
Auburn, Ala. The initial outbreak occurred in five persons who were
involved in the care of a bull that required manual placement of an oral
feeding tube. Confirmation of diagnosis was based on clinical findings,
cytopathological effects in tissue culture, and isolation of typical
paravaccinia virus particles in tissue culture. Transmission studies were
performed successfully in three normal calves using tissue culture prepared
from human biopsy material. In man, the cutaneous form of BPS infection
shows gross lesions similar to the cutaneous form of contagious ecthyma
("orf") or pseudocowpox ("milkers' nodules") infection. Because BPS in
cattle occurs most often without evidence of readily observable lesions,
unlike contagious ecthyma in sheep or pseudocowpox in cattle, the
transmission of BPS to man in the cutaneous form could occur without
apparent source. The mild clinical manifestations make the condition
relatively minor; however, the occasional case may have more severe
lesions.
