Three cases of cowpox infection of domestic cats

Since October 1982 three cases of cowpox infection of the cat have been presented at a veterinary practice. The disease began as a focal dermatitis on the face or paws which spread after several days to the rest of the body. Two weeks after appearing the pocks scabbed over and fell off leaving hairless skin. There were few systemic signs and therapy did not appear to influence the course of the disease. Diagnosis was confirmed by the demonstration of pox virions or inclusion bodies in skin biopsy or scab material using electron microscopy and by isolation of cowpox virus in chick embryos. High antibody titres to cowpox were observed in the sera of two cats.