Peter Rogers, [29 Jul 2022]: Good afternoon all - Any ideas on these head lesions please? Papilloma ? Roy Bengis, [29 Jul 2022 at 16:31:03]: Could be early papillomatosis. The severe form of this disease with multiple large lesions appears to be most common in female giraffes. Rob Jackson [3:40 pm, 07/06/2022]: Good afternoon, is it possible that a giraffe severely affected with suspected papilloma virus warts might serve as reservoir? for physical infection of others via physical transmission by oxpeckers. A wild population? Roy Bengis [4:09 pm, 07/06/2022]: That's the theory. Initial transmission from cattle to giraffe also probably via oxpeckers. Rob Jackson [4:19 pm, 07/06/2022]: Thank you Roy, in the absence of other infected animals I guess it makes no sense to euthanase the animal as is not a closed system with continued access to cattle. She is probably just more susceptible Roy Bengis [6:40 pm, 07/06/2022]: Rob, in my experience, the majority of severe giraffe papillomatosis cases were in adult females. Rob Jackson [8:48 pm, 07/06/2022]: Roy have you any thoughts on why it might be so. Immunosuppression as a result of pregnancy? Or decreased condition at a result of carrying and rearing a foal? Roy Bengis [8:08 am, 08/06/2022]: Rob, it could be any of those. Possibly this papilloma virus thrives in an oestrogen environment, similar to EMC virus preferring a testosterone environment. However there does not appear to be a gender predilection in cattle.
