It was possible to demonstrate papillomavirus DNA with a broad range PCR from skin biopsies of a diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) with nodulous skin alterations. Epidemiology and clinical manifestation of reptile papillomatosis are suspected to be similar to papillomas in mammals

Dorrestein, G M

Favrot, Claude

Grest, Paula

Gull, Jessica M

Hatt, Jean-Michel

Lange, C E

ZORA

University of ZurichZurich Open Repository and ArchiveWinterthurerstr. 190CH-8057 Zurichhttp://www.zora.uzh.chYear: 2010It's a wart! A case report of papillomatosis in snakes and generalconsiderations on the managemet of papillomatosis in reptilesGull, J M; Lange, C E; Favrot, C; Grest, P; Dorrestein, GM; Hatt, J MGull, J M; Lange, C E; Favrot, C; Grest, P; Dorrestein, GM; Hatt, J M (2010). It's a wart! A case report ofpapillomatosis in snakes and general considerations on the managemet of papillomatosis in reptiles. In: Proceedingsof the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals, Madrid, 12 May 2010 - 15 May 2010, 45-46.Postprint available at:http://www.zora.uzh.chPosted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich.http://www.zora.uzh.chOriginally published at:Proceedings of the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals, Madrid, 12 May 2010 - 15 May2010, 45-46.Gull, J M; Lange, C E; Favrot, C; Grest, P; Dorrestein, GM; Hatt, J M (2010). It's a wart! A case report ofpapillomatosis in snakes and general considerations on the managemet of papillomatosis in reptiles. In: Proceedingsof the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals, Madrid, 12 May 2010 - 15 May 2010, 45-46.Postprint available at:http://www.zora.uzh.chPosted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich.http://www.zora.uzh.chOriginally published at:Proceedings of the International Conference on Diseases of Zoo and Wild Animals, Madrid, 12 May 2010 - 15 May2010, 45-46.Proc Int Conf Dis Zoo Wild Anim 2010  Extended abstract    45 IT'S A WART! A CASE REPORT OF PAPILLOMATOSIS IN SNAKES AND  GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF PAPILLOMATOSIS IN REPTILES  GULL JM 1, LANGE CE2, FAVROT C2, GREST P3, DORRESTEIN GM4, HATT J-M1  1Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurer-1strasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, SWITZERLAND; jgull@vetclinics.uzh.ch 2Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Dermatology Unit, Vetsuisse Faculty, SWITZERLAND 3Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, SWITZERLAND 4Diagnostic Pathology Laboratory NOIVBD, Wintelresedijk 51, 5507 PP Veldhoven, THE NETHER- 1LANDS; 1www.noivbd.nl   Summary  It was possible to demonstrate papillomavirus DNA with a broad range PCR from skin biopsies of a diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) with nodulous skin alterations. Epidemiology and clini-cal manifestation of reptile papillomatosis are suspected to be similar to papillomas in mammals.   Introduction  Papillomaviruses cause warts or papillomas in a wide range of species. In reptiles, several cases of papillomatosis have been described. Virus particles have been demonstrated with transmission elec-tron microscopy in lizards (COOPER et al., 1982) and chelonians (JACOBSON et al., 1982) and whole papillomavirus genomes have been obtained from latter as well (HERBST et al., 2009). Still, to the knowledge of the authors, papillomaviruses have not yet been demonstrated in snakes. On the basis of the following report of a case of skin papillomatosis in a diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota), the diagnostic procedure and management in a case of suspected papillomatosis in a reptile is de-scribed.   Case report  A 4 year old male diamond python (885 g) was presented with black nodulous skin alterations (ap-proximately 3 mm in diameter), increased amount of mucus in the oral cavity and dyspnoea. Histology of skin biopsies led to the diagnosis of a papilloma-like neoplasia or a basal cell tumour. The respira-tory signs led to the presumptive diagnosis of pneumonia, which was successfully treated with intra-muscular marbofloxacin 5 mg/kg (Marbocyl® FD, Vétoquinol SA, 70204 Lure, France) for 10 days. Ten months after the first presentation, the skin lesions had regressed almost completely. Further skin biopsies were taken, and it was possible to amplify papillomavirus DNA with a broad range DNA FAP59/FAP64 PCR (FORSLUND et al., 1999). To confirm the papillomavirus nature, the PCR product was extracted, sequenced and compared with known papillomaviruses of the NCBI database (BlastX). The owner reported that another diamond python from the same collection, which had been sold to another private keeper, showed similar skin lesions with subsequent spontaneous regression.         46 Discussion  The interesting question is how the diamond python acquired the virus. The 2 affected snakes were siblings, and the owner had bred these snakes in the 4th generation originating from 6 wild-caught animals. To that date, no signs of papillomavirus had been detected in these animals. In mammals, transmission of papillomavirus may be horizontally (by direct contact or contaminated material) or vertically. For reptiles the epidemiology is not known, but it could be hypothesised that the wild-caught parents might have been already carrier of the virus. Several reports of reptiles affected with papillo-mavirus are related to wild-caught animals. The reasons that trigger clinical manifestation of the dis-ease are not known but could include concomitant stress or disease (e.g. pneumonia in the present case). Alternatively, horizontal infection of the diamond python cannot be excluded, although there is no indication for a potential source in the anamnesis. In mammals, most papillomas are self-limiting and seldom cause clinical problems, yet some may undergo malignant transformation (SUNDBERG et al., 2001). In the present case the papillomas were completely resolved after 12 months without treat-ment.   References  COOPER JE, GSCHMEISSNER S, HOLT PE (1982): Viral particles in a papilloma from a green lizard (Lacerta viridis). Lab Anim 16, 12 - 13. FORSLUND O, ANTONSSON A, NORDIN P, STENQUIST B, HANSSON BG (1999): A broad range of human papillomavirus types detected with a general PCR method suitable for analysis of cuta-neous tumours and normal skin. J Gen Virol 80, 2437 - 2443. HERBST L, LENZ J, VAN DOORSLAER K, CHEN Z, STACY BA, WELLEHAN JFJ, MANIRE C, BURK RD (2009): Genomic characterization of 2 novel reptilian papillomaviruses, Chelonia my-das papillomavirus 1 and Caretta caretta papillomavirus 1. Virology 383, 131 - 135. JACOBSON ER, GASKIN JM, CLUBB S, CALDERWOOD M (1982): Papilloma-like virus infection in Bolivian side-neck turtles. J Am Vet Med Assoc 181, 1325 - 1328. SUNDBERG JP, VAN RANST M, JENSON AB (2001): Papillomavirus infections. In: WILLIAMS ES, BARKER IK (eds), Infectious diseases of wild mammals. London, Manson Publishing Ltd, 223 - 231.   

It's a wart! A case report of papillomatosis in snakes and general considerations on the managemet of papillomatosis in reptiles

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It's a wart! A case report of papillomatosis in snakes and general considerations on the managemet of papillomatosis in reptiles

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