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Skin lesions associated with papillomaviruses have been reported in many animal species and man. Bovine papillomavirus (BVP) affects mainly the epidermis, but also the dermis in several species including bovine, the best-known example being equine sarcoid, which is associated with BVP types 1 and 2. This publication describes and illustrates the macroscopic and histological appearance of BPV-associated papillomatous, fibropapillomatous or sarcoid-like lesions in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) from the Gariep Dam Nature Reserve, 2 giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) from the Kruger National Park, ar.d a sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) from the Kimberley area of South Africa. An African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) cow from Kruger National Park also had papillomatous lesions but molecular characterisation of lesional virus was not done. Immunohistochemical staining using polyclonal rabbit antiserum to chemically disrupted BPV-1, which cross-reacts with the Li capsid of most known papillomaviruses, was positive in cells of the stratum granulosum of lesions in Giraffe 1, the sable and the buffalo and negative in those of the zebra and Giraffe 2. Fibropapillomatous and sarcoid-like lesions from an adult bovine were used as positive control for the immunohistochemistry and are described and the immunohistochemistry illustrated for comparison. Macroscopically, both adult female giraffe had severely thickened multifocal to coalescing nodular and occasionally ulcerated lesions of the head, neck and trunk with local poorly-circumscribed invasion into the subcutis. Necropsy performed on the 2nd giraffe revealed neither internal metastases nor serious underlying disease. Giraffe 1 had scattered, and Giraffe 2 numerous, large, anaplastic, at times indistinctly multinucleated dermal fibroblasts with bizarre nuclei within the sarcoid-like lesions, which were BPV-1 positive in Giraffe 1 and BPV-1 and -2 positive in Giraffe 2 by RT-PCR. The sable antelope presented with a solitary large lesion just proximal to the right hind hoof, which recurred after excision, and was BPV-1 positive by RT-PCR. Other wart-like growths were present elsewhere on the body. The Cape mountain zebra either succumbed from their massive lesions or were euthanased or removed from the herd because of them. The lesions were BPV-1 and/or -2 positive by RT-PCR. The buffalo lesions were wart-like papillomatous projections in the inguinal and udder region. Stratum granulosum cells that stained immunohistochemically positive in the various species appeared koiocyte-like, as described in human papillomaviral lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillomavirus was detected electron microscopically in cutaneous fibropapillomas of a giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and a sable antelope (Hippotragus niger). The virus particles measured 45 nm in diameter. Histopathologically, the lesions showed bistopathological features similar to those of equine sarcoid as well as positive immunoperoxidase-staining of tissue sections for papifiomavirus antigen. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA. Bovine papillomavirus-1 was characterised by real-time PCR in the sable and giraffe, and cloning and sequencing of the PCR product revealed a similarity to BPV-1. As in the 1st giraffe, the lesions from a 2nd giraffe revealed locally malignant pleomorphism, possibly indicating the lesional end-point of papilloma infection. Neither virus particles nor positively staining papillomavirus antigen could be demonstrated in the 2nd giraffe but papillomavirus DNA was detected by real-time PCR which corresponded with BPV-1 and BPV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, South African conservation officials have noted the appearance of sarcoid tumour-like growths in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) populations. In domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus), a genetic predisposition for this bovine papillomavirus-induced tumour is reported. This investigation compared population genetic parameters within tumour-affected populations in Bontebok National Park and Gariep Dam Nature Reserve against Cape mountain zebra populations having few or no tumours in Karoo National Park and Karoo Nature Reserve in South Africa and Hartmann's mountain zebra populations from Namibia. Tumour-affected populations had the lowest levels of expected heterozygosity, gene diversity and polymorphism and highest values of internal relatedness and homozygosity by loci but not reaching levels of significance (P = 0.05). Wright's FIS values indicated an overall deficit of heterozygotes in both affected and non-affected Cape mountain zebra populations. Considerable population substructuring, as indicated by FST values and Bayesian clustering, was revealed among all Cape mountain zebra populations. The results provide support for current conservation policies aimed at increasing levels of genetic diversity in isolated Cape mountain zebra populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]