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Pathogen Page

Orf Virus

I. General Information

1. NCBI Taxonomy ID:

2. Disease:

Orf disease, Sore mouth (Ovine Ecthyma)

3. Introduction

Orf is an exanthemous disease caused by a parapox virus and occurring primarily in sheep and goats. It is also known as contagious pustular dermatitis, infectious labial dermatitis, ecthyma contagiosum, and sheep pox, thistle disease and scabby mouth. Orf virus can also infect humans. It has been recorded since the late 19th century and has been reported from most sheep- or goat-raising areas including those in Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Africa, Asia, Alaska, South America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Orf is spread by fomites and direct contact. In some environments infection is injected by scratches from thistles of both growing and felled plants. Symptoms include papules and pustules on the lips and muzzle, and less commonly in the mouth of young lambs and on the eyelids, feet, and teats of ewes. The lesions progress to thick crusts which may bleed. Orf in the mouths of lambs may prevent suckling and cause weight loss, and can infect the udder of the mother ewe, thus potentially leading to mastitis. Sheep are prone to reinfection. Occasionally the infection can be extensive and persistent if the animal does not produce an immune response (Wiki: Orf disease).

4. Host Ranges and Animal Models

Primarily, orf is a disease of sheep and goats although it has been reported as a natural disease in the following: humans, steenbok and alpacas, chamois and thar, reindeer, musk ox, the dog, the cat, the mountain goat, bighorn sheep, dall sheep, and the red squirrel (Wiki: Orf disease).

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