Papillomavirus type 2 in an equine sarcoid in Costa Rica

Objective: To identify, by molecular techniques, the presence of bovine papillomavirus (BPV) in an equine sarcoid and to perform histological characterization. Materials and methods: Using a sarcoid lesion from an American Paint Horse mare, nucleic acid extraction and identification by molecular techniques were performed. A partial region of the gene corresponding to the L1 segment of papillomavirus was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and then, it was sequenced and analyzed using the BLAST algorithm. The tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin and analyzed under a 100X optical microscope. Results: BPV-2 was detected in the equine sarcoid lesion; the lesion was classified as nodular according to its morphological and histological characteristics. The histopathology showed a fibrotic lesion, with exophytic neoplasia and expansion of the spinous layer. Conclusions: The study demonstrated, for the first time, the presence of, via molecular techniques, BPV-2 in an equine sarcoid in Costa Rica and its association with a nodular-type sarcoid.