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Papillomavirus

 

Any of a group of viruses that cause warts and other harmless tumours in humans. More than 100 distinct types are known. Different types are responsible for warts of the hands, plantar warts (of the feet), and throat warts. Genital warts are caused by other types, which are spread by sexual intercourse. Some types of papillomaviruses that cause genital infections have been linked with various cancerous tumours, especially cervical cancers; their presence can be detected through a Pap smear.

For more information on papillomavirus, visit Britannica.com.

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Medical Dictionary: Pap·il·lo·ma·vi·rus
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(păp'ə-lō'mə-vī'rəs)
n.

A genus of DNA-containing viruses including the papilloma and wart viruses of humans and other animals.

Veterinary Dictionary: papillomavirus
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A member of the genus Papillomavirus, family Papovaviridae.

  • bovine p. (BPV) — six types have been identified. BPV-1, BPV-2 and BPV-5 cause fibropapillomas of the skin of the anteroventral part of the body including the forehead, neck and back, the common cutaneous wart, penile fibropapilloma and frond and rice grain fibropapillomas on the udder and teat skin. BPV-2 is also associated with bladder cancer in cattle grazing bracken fern (Pteridium spp.). BPV-3 causes cutaneous papilloma; BPV-4 causes papilloma of the esophagus and small intestine, which can become malignant, particularly in animals fed bracken fern (Pteridium spp.); and BPV-6 causes frond epithelial papillomas of the bovine udder and teats.
 
 

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Medical Dictionary. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more