Widespread of Parapox Infection in Wild Japanese Serows, Capricornis Crispus

Abstract

An outbreak of parapox infection was observed in 155 out of 402 serows captured in various parts of Gifu Prefecture from Dec. 1984 to Mar. 1985. Nodular or papular lesions were mainly located in the naso-oral, external genital, udder and auricular parts. Histopathologically, the lesions were characterized by acanthosis with cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Electron microscopically, viral particles were also confirmed in ballooning cells. Widespread of the disease in wild Japanese serows has never been reported.