Oxpecker birds (Buphagus) and ticks could have played ... from the blood of an infected individual to a new host, such as a giraffe. In giraffes, papillomaviruses cause scaly lesions on the ...

A giraffe in South Africa's Kruger National ... through contaminated objects or parasites, known as fomites. Oxpecker birds and ticks are potential carriers. Oxpeckers, which feed on parasites ...