Abstract
Canine oral papilloma is an infectious disease normally confined to the oral mucosa.Naturally occurring oral papilloma of dogs has proved to be experimentally transmis-sible to dogs. The strain of canine oral papilloma virus used in this work was originatedfrom a papilloma removed from a dog in Xliyazaki, Japan, in April, 1969. The diseasewas carried to the ninth generation in 30 puppies. A filtrable virus could be extractedfrom these animals. With it, growths could be reproduced in the oral mucosa of dogs.Experimentally produced canine oral papilloma had an incubation period of about5 weeks. The existence period ranged from 4to 8 weeks. Basophilic.intranuclear bodiesoccurred in a few of the large swollen cells of older lesions. These lesions usually healedspontaneously. Puppies were immune to reinfection for 3 to 4 weeks postinoculatiott.lV[ultip1e simultaneous inajections of graded doses of xzirus into the oral mucosa of youngdogs were found to gixe useful assays of canitte oral papilloma virus. The infective dose50 of a typical stock virus preparation injected in a VOIUIIIC of 0.1 ml was approximately10-3. The virus could be preserved for a long period in equal parts of glycerol andsaline, or frozen at -25C or -70C. On the basis of morphology and cellular location, it was concluded that canine oral papilloma virus was qualified for a membership ofthe papovavirus group.
