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Rabbit with Papillomavirus of SHOPPE
A group of rabbits in Colorado with horns -like grotesque deleting may seem out of a low -budget horror movie, but scientists ensure that there is no reason for alarm – hairy animals have only one relatively vulgar virus.
Recently spotted in the Fort Collins region in northern Colorado, in the United States, are infected with the Papillomavirus de Shop.
Essentially harmless, this virus causes the growth of wart -like formations, which project and spread from their heads, as if they were horns or tentacles.
Photographs of these animals viralized on the internet and inspired a series of unhappy nicknames, such as “Frankenstein Rabbits“,” Rabbits of the demon “or” zombie rabbits. “
The virus is not exactly new; in truth, Almost 100 years ago which is the target of scientific research, and is probably the origin of old legends in the United States. According to, the virus probably influenced the secular myth of the jackalopea rabbit with horns or horns similar to those of an antelope.
This disease in the rabbits of North America has helped scientists better realize the Connection between viruses and canceramong which the papillomavirus human, which causes cervical cancer.
The virus in the rabbits was baptized in honor of Richard E. Shopeprofessor at Rockefeller University who discovered the disease in Brazilian rabbits in the 1930s.
News about rabbit sightings in Fort Collins, 105 kilometers north of Denver, began to draw attention after residents began to spot them around the city and share photographs of affected animals.
“It looked like I had Black spikes or toothpicks out around the mouth“ Susan Mansfieldresident of Fort Collins who saw one of the rabbits. “I thought I was going to die during the winter, but did not die. He returned in the second year, and grew even more“.
Kara van hoosespokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told Associated Press on Wednesday that The agency has received calls on the rabbits seen in Fort Collins.
“It is not unusual to see infected rabbitsespecially in summer, when fleas and ticks that spread the virus are more active, ”says Van Hoose.“ The virus can pass from rabbit to rabbit but not for other speciesincluding people and domestic animals. ”
According to one published in 2024 in the magazine Virusesthe rabbit’s papilloma is similar to tumors caused by the HPV human. According to one recent, human papillomavirus has been associated with skin cancer.
Excrescences usually seem to be warts, but if they grow more may have an appearance of hornsexplained one of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Do not hurt the rabbits – except if they grow in the eyes or in the mouth and hinder the diet.
O IMMUNITY RABILS SYSTEM can combat the virus andwhen this happens, Excrescences disappear.
