Orf (ecthyma contagiosum) is an infection of the skin caused by a DNA virus belonging to the genus Parapoxvirus. We recently observed 7 cases of orf in Muslim men living in the metropolitan area of Milan, Italy, who acquired the infection after the Feast of Sacrifice.
Keywords: Italy; Orf virus; Parapoxvirus; ecthyma contagiosum; epidemiology; skin infection; viruses; zoonoses.