SCREENING FOR BOVINE PAPILLOMAVIRUS IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD CELLS OF DONKEYS WITH AND WITHOUT SARCOIDS

Papillomaviral DNA has been identified in peripheral blood cells of bo th cattle and humans with and without associated disease and it has be en suggested that such cells may act as sites of viral latency. In ord er to investigate the possibility of latent papillomaviral infection i n the aetiopathogenesis of the equine sarcoid, peripheral blood derive d DNA samples from 20 healthy and 34 sarcoid-affected donkeys were sub ject to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using papillomaviral specific primers. Analysis of blood derived DNA samples failed to demonstrate t he presence of papillomaviral DNA in any animal. Screening of 37 match ed sarcoid derived DNA samples confirmed the presence of spy in 34 dis eased donkeys. This study supports the hypothesis of spy as an aetiolo gical agent in the equine sarcoid and suggests that latent virus in ci rculating peripheral blood cells does not play a role in the pathogene sis and epidemiology of the equine sarcoid.