Long standing orf in an adult miniature goat
On a farm near Maldon in central Victoria, a 3 year old female miniature goat, one of a herd of 50, had developed long standing grey crusty lumps (Figure 1) on the skin of the ear, muzzle and tail. The lesions, present for 8 months, had shown no response to a range of topical treatments. It was the only goat affected; similar lesions had never been seen in the 7 year history of the farm.
The histology findings of epidermal hyperplasia and keratinocytes containing 2-10um, round to oval, brightly eosinophilic intracytoplasmic viral inclusion bodies consistent with a diagnosis of orf. Orf, also known as scabby mouth, is caused by an ovine parapoxvirus. It usually affects young goats, occurs in outbreaks, is confined to the lips and gums and resolves in 3 to 6 weeks, making this an unusual case.
[Figure 1]
- Tristan Jubb, Bendigo Sheep Vets
The orf virus is typically diagnosed via electron microscopy. To learn more about our test offering, including electron microscopy, visit our test directory, or contact us on 1300 307 190.
