A horse in Finland exhibited generalized granulomatous inflammation and severe proliferative dermatitis. After euthanization, we detected poxvirus DNA from a skin lesion sample. The virus sequence grouped with parapoxviruses, closely resembling a novel poxvirus detected in humans in the United States after horse contact. Our findings indicate horses may be a reservoir for zoonotic parapoxvirus.
Keywords: Clinical; Finland; PCR; dermatitis; equine; granuloma; horse; parapoxvirus; phylogeny; poxvirus; sequence; viruses; zoonosis.