Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ulcerated skin lesion on Dobermann muzzle from orthopoxvirus infection
By Smith, K C et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1999·Centre for Preventive Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Skin lesions caused by orthopoxvirus infection in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Doberman was brought to the vet for a non-itchy ulcerated sore on his muzzle, which was suspected to be from a rat bite. A skin biopsy showed signs of an orthopoxvirus infection, which is a type of virus that can cause skin lesions. Fortunately, after treatment, the sore healed well without any further issues, and follow-up tests showed low levels of the virus in his blood. This case highlights the importance of considering orthopoxvirus when dogs have unusual skin sores, especially after contact with rodents.
People also search for: dog skin lesions treatment · Doberman ulcerated sore · poxvirus in dogs · rat bite infection in dogs
Abstract
A seven-year-old male dobermann was presented for examination of a non-pruritic ulcerated lesion occurring at the site of a suspected rat bite on the muzzle. Biopsy revealed focal ulcerative dermatitis, with cells in the epidermis, follicular infundibula and interposed sebaceous glands undergoing ballooning degeneration and containing large acidophilic intracytoplasmic structures resembling poxvirus inclusion bodies. The diagnosis of orthopoxvirus infection was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. The biopsy site healed uneventfully, without evidence of recurrence or development of further cutaneous or internal lesions, and a serum sample collected eight weeks after first presentation had a low titre of poxvirus antibodies. This report demonstrates that orthopoxvirus infection should be considered as a cause of ulcerative skin lesions in dogs, particularly if there has been recent contact with rodents or other small mammals.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10587928/