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Molluscum contagiosum virus

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Molecular and Cell Biology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Part of the book series: Molecular and Cell Biology of Human Diseases Series ((Mol. Cell Biol. Hu. Dis.))

Abstract

Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) is a poxvirus that causes benign skin tumours in man, consisting of a localized mass of hypertrophied and hyperplastic epidermis due to enhanced basal cell division. The disease was first described in 1814 (Bateman, 1814). The intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (molluscum or Henderson-Paterson bodies) were described in 1841 (Henderson, 1841; Paterson, 1841) and the viral nature of the disease was eventually established in 1905 (Juliusberg, 1905). MCV is one of two poxviruses regarded as having specificity for the human host, the other being variola, the agent of smallpox. There have been occasional reports of molluscum contagiosum in other species (Brown et al., 1981) although these have not been substantiated by molecular analysis. MCV is also one of a small number of poxviruses which induce tumour formation in their natural hosts.

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Authors
  1. Colin D. Porter
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  2. Neil W. Blake
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  3. Jeffrey J. Cream
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  4. Leonard C. Archard
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  1. Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, UK

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Porter, C.D., Blake, N.W., Cream, J.J., Archard, L.C. (1992). Molluscum contagiosum virus. In: Wright, D., Archard, L. (eds) Molecular and Cell Biology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Molecular and Cell Biology of Human Diseases Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2384-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2384-6_8

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