Bovine and human papillomaviruses: a comparative review.
Authors: Munday J S
Journal: Veterinary pathology
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Bovine and Human Papillomaviruses — A Comparative Review Research spanning five decades has established bovine papillomavirus (BPV) as a significant pathogen in equine and bovine medicine, causing mesenchymal skin tumours and bladder neoplasia, whilst paralleling the later discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV) involvement in cervical cancer and other malignancies. Munday's 2014 comparative review synthesises the biological mechanisms and disease associations of both virus groups, examining how their oncogenic pathways differ and converge across host species. Although notable distinctions currently exist between BPV and HPV pathogenesis, the review highlights that early BPV research provided the crucial foundation for understanding papillomavirus-driven disease in humans, suggesting that continued investigation may yet reveal closer parallels between these pathogens than previously appreciated. For equine professionals, this comparative approach underscores the relevance of fundamental virology research to clinical practice—particularly regarding tumour aetiology, potential cross-species transmission risks, and the possibility that emerging equine papillomavirus-associated conditions may warrant closer scrutiny. Understanding these viral mechanisms becomes increasingly important as diagnostic capabilities improve and the true prevalence of papillomavirus-related disease in horses may be better characterised.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine practitioners should be aware that BPV infection can cause skin tumors in horses; monitoring for wart-like lesions in infected animals is warranted
- •Understanding papillomavirus biology in animals may have translational value for human medical research and vice versa
- •Early recognition of papillomavirus-associated lesions is important as disease associations continue to expand with ongoing research
Key Findings
- •Bovine papillomaviruses cause mesenchymal skin tumors in cattle and horses, and bladder tumors in cattle
- •Both BPVs and HPVs have been associated with an increasingly diverse range of diseases over 50 years of research
- •BPVs and HPVs differ significantly in their biology and oncogenic mechanisms, but future research may reveal greater similarities than currently recognized