Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Zoonotic Infections
Number of Conditions: 1
Human Cowpox Infection
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Viral Infections
Sub-category: Zoonotic Infections
Symptoms:
skin lesions; fever; headache; muscle aches; fatigue; swollen lymph nodes; blistering rash
Root Cause:
Infection with the cowpox virus, a zoonotic poxvirus primarily transmitted from animals (particularly rodents or cats) to humans through direct contact.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation and confirmed with PCR or viral culture of the lesion.
Treatment:
Symptomatic treatment; in severe cases, antiviral drugs like tecovirimat (a smallpox drug) may be used.
Medications:
Tecovirimat (a drug used to treat orthopoxvirus infections like smallpox and cowpox) and cidofovir (an antiviral). Supportive care may include analgesics and wound care.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, with most cases occurring in people with direct contact with infected animals.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Animal exposure, particularly handling infected rodents or pets with cowpox lesions.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Generally self-limiting, with most people recovering fully; however, complications can arise if untreated.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Secondary bacterial infections, scarring, or prolonged skin lesions in immunocompromised individuals.