DETECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PAPILLOMAVIRUS SKIN LESIONS OF GIRAFFE (Giraffa camelopardalis, Linnaeus, 1758) AND SABLE ANTELOPE (Hippotragus niger, Harris, 1838) IN SOUTH AFRICA

Unsightly horny outgrowths in the skin of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) have been reported in the Kruger National Park, Mpumalanga and two giraffes were euthanased due to this condition. A sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), on a game farm in the Kimberley district, Northern Cape, exhibited lameness due to a cutaneous growth, which was removed surgically. Papillomavirus was detected electron microscopically in cutaneous fibropapillomas in these giraffes and sable antelope. The virus particles measured 45 nm in diameter. Histopathologically, the lesions showed features similar to those of equine sarcoid as well as positive immunoperoxidasestaining of tissue sections for papillomavirus antigen. Polymerase chain reaction demonstrated the presence of BPV DNA. Bovine papillomavirus-1 was detected by real-time PCR in the sable and giraffe, and cloning and sequencing of the PCR–product showed the highest similarity (99%) to BPV-1 found in Cape mountain zebras. All sequences from the giraffe and sable were closely related (97%) to the BPV-1 subtype IV, detected in equine sarcoid. In a similar lesion in a second giraffe histopathologically malignant pleomorphism was detected indicating the end-point of papilloma infection. Neither virus particles nor positively staining papillomavirus antigen could be demonstrated but papillomavirus DNA was detected by real-time PCR which corresponded to BPV-1 and BPV-2.