Control of mousepox epizootics in St Louis and Chicago

In September 1980, mousepox was diagnosed in mice from the Jewish Hospital in St Louis, Missouri. The disease was eliminated by vaccination with vaccinia virus. In October 1980, mousepox was suspected in mice located in an off-campus research facility of the University of Chicago. Based on history, clinical signs, serology, and characteristic pathological lesions, mousepox was diagnosed. The disease was eliminated by killing or moving all mice from the facility. During serological surveillance of mice from other University of Chicago campus facilities, mice from an on-campus facility were found to have positive serological titers and pathological lesions suggestive of ectromelia infection. Some mice in this facility originated from a non-commercial source in which mousepox recently was discovered.