Emerging Infectious Diseases (Dec 2002)

Rat-to-Human Transmission of Cowpox Infection

  • Tom F.W. Wolfs,
  • Jaap A. Wagenaar,
  • Hubert G.M. Niesters,
  • Albert D.M.E. Osterhaus

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0812.020089
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 12
pp. 1495 – 1496

Abstract

Read online

We isolated Cowpox virus (CPXV) from the ulcerative eyelid lesions of a 14-year-old girl, who had cared for a clinically ill wild rat that later died. CPXV isolated from the rat (Rattus norvegicus) showed complete homology with the girl’s virus. Our case is the first proven rat-to-human transmission of cowpox.

Keywords