Detection of bovine papillomavirus DNA in sarcoid-affected and healthy free-roaming zebra (Equus zebra) populations in South Africa.
The endangered Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) is protected in small numbers in a few isolated populations in South African game parks. Since 1995, sarcoid lesions appeared in zebras in two of the parks. This study was undertaken to investigate if bovine papillomavirus (BPV) is associated with sarcoids in these zebras. A conventional PCR, targeting the E5 ORF of BPV, and subsequent RFLP analysis were initially used to demonstrate the presence of BPV-1 and -2 DNAs in zebra sarcoid tumours. A rapid, sensitive and reliable real-time PCR to detect and distinguish between BPV-1 and -2 infections in zebras was developed. With this assay it was demonstrated that BPV-1 and -2 DNA (either single or mixed infections) are present in sarcoid tumour, healthy skin and blood of sarcoid-affected and healthy zebras from sarcoid-affected parks as well as in the blood of zebras from parks where no sarcoid has been observed before.
Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, South Africa. enette.vandyk@up.ac.za
Enette
E
van Dyk
Marinda C
MC
Oosthuizen
Anna-Marie
AM
Bosman
Pierre J
PJ
Nel
David
D
Zimmerman
Estelle H
EH
Venter
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D052688:Bovine papillomavirus 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018397:Equidae / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012867:Skin / Q000821:virology; D013019:South Africa
D004279:DNA, Viral; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; C054304:oncogene protein E5, Bovine papillomavirus type 1