Mousepox (infectious ectromelia): past, present, and future.

Mousepox is an orthopoxvirus infection of mice that was discovered in laboratory mice in England in 1930. Depending upon mouse genotype, it may produce a severe disease with acute hepatitis and high mortality, a generalized rash in animals that survive longer, or a trivial inapparent infection. It has long been enzootic in breeding stocks of mice in Europe, Japan, and China but not in North America and Australia. However, it has been imported into the USA on several occasions, sometimes causing severe epizootics. It may contaminate or replace various viruses that are passaged in mice and may be transferred between mouse stocks in intact mice or in mouse tumors or tissues. Vaccination with vaccinia virus provides protection and has been used to eradicate virus from mouse colonies. Depopulation and sterilization of infected animal quarters my be required.