Cutaneous Form of Bovine Papular Stomatitis in Man

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.

(JAMA 1981;246:2813-2818)