Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, United States; Corresponding author at: Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
Melina Manolas
Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, United States
Sarah Jin
Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, United States
John Dwyer
Section of Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
Garrett Vick
Department of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
Alun Wang
Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
Edwin Swiatlo
Section of Infectious Diseases, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System, 2400 Canal St, New Orleans, LA, 70119, USA
Crystal Zheng
Section of Infectious Diseases, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
Human orf, also called ecthyma contagiosum, is a zoonotic infection that causes self-resolving skin lesions after contact with infected livestock. We present the case of a 45-year-old Moroccan-born man who developed multiple painful erythematous, violaceous plaques on his hands after butchering a sheep to celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha. The diagnosis of orf virus infection was established based on exposure history, histopathology, and classic skin lesions. Although orf virus infection is traditionally seen in individuals with frequent animal contact such as farmers and veterinarians, clinicians evaluating suspicious lesions in patients without occupational risk factors should consider additional cultural practices that may expose the patient to orf virus.
