Description of the situation
11 April 1996
Disease Outbreak Reported
Five suspected pediatric cases of buffalopox virus infection from two villages in Beed district, Maharashtra State were under investigation in March. The cases coincided with infections in cattle. During 1992-1994, 3 cases of buffalopox were confirmed in humans and 7 in buffalos in two districts of Maharashtra State. The clinical features in human cases included fever, lymphadenopathy and pox lesions on the hands whereas lesions in affected animals were mainly on the teats and udder. Sero-survey in the affected villages revealed neutralizing antibodies in sera of affected humans and in 70% of their contacts. The investigations were conducted by the National Institute of Virology in Pune in collaboration with the Maharashtra State Public Health and Animal Husbandry Departments.