TY - JOUR
T1 - Naturally acquired simian retrovirus infections in central African hunters
AU - Wolfe, Nathan D.
AU - Switzer, William M.
AU - Carr, Jean K.
AU - Bhullar, Vinod B.
AU - Shanmugam, Vedapuri
AU - Tamoufe, Ubald
AU - Prosser, A. Tassy
AU - Torimiro, Judith N.
AU - Wright, Anthony
AU - Mpoudi-Ngole, Eitel
AU - McCutchan, Francine E.
AU - Birx, Deborah L.
AU - Folks, Thomas M.
AU - Burke, Donald S.
AU - Heneine, Walid
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the government of Cameroon for permission to undertake this study. This work was supported by an award from the US Military HIV Research Program (to DB), an International Research Scientist Development Award from the National Institutes of Health, Fogarty International Center (to NW), and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for a Livable Future (to AP and NW). We thank K Long, the Hopkins Cameroon Project Staff, and the US Embassy in Yaounde for assistance; A Hussain for help developing the SFV EIA and M Ninan for technical assistance; M Lebreton for assistance with the map; M Kalish and W Sateren for valuable comments; Z Tooze, B Beer, D Vallet, A Gautier-Hion, MPeeters, F Villinger, J Allan, and the veterinary staff at many US zoos and primate centres for providing nonhuman primate samples; and REberle and E Blewett for sharing mandrill, drill, and olive baboon SFV isolates.
PY - 2004/3/20
Y1 - 2004/3/20
N2 - Background Hunting and butchering of wild non-human primates infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is thought to have sparked the HIV pandemic. Although SIV and other primate retroviruses infect laboratory workers and zoo workers, zoonotic retrovirus transmission has not been documented in natural settings. We investigated zoonotic infection in individuals living in central Africa. Methods We obtained behavioural data, plasma samples, and peripheral blood lymphocytes from individuals living in rural villages in Cameroon. We did serological testing, PCR, and sequence analysis to obtain evidence of retrovirus infection. Findings Zoonotic infections with simian foamy virus (SFV), a retrovirus endemic in most Old World primates, were identified in people living in central African forests who reported direct contact with blood and body fluids of wild non-human primates. Ten (1%) of 1099 individuals had antibodies to SFV. Sequence analysis from these individuals revealed three geographically-independent human SFV infections, each of which was acquired from a distinct non-human primate lineage: De Brazza's guenon (Cercopithecus neglectus), mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), and gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), two of which (De Brazza's guenon and mandrill) are naturally infected with SIV. Interpretation Our findings show that retroviruses are actively crossing into human populations, and demonstrate that people in central Africa are currently infected with SFV. Contact with non-human primates, such as happens during hunting and butchering, can play a part in the emergence of human retroviruses and the reduction of primate bushmeat hunting has the potential to decrease the frequency of disease emergence.
AB - Background Hunting and butchering of wild non-human primates infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is thought to have sparked the HIV pandemic. Although SIV and other primate retroviruses infect laboratory workers and zoo workers, zoonotic retrovirus transmission has not been documented in natural settings. We investigated zoonotic infection in individuals living in central Africa. Methods We obtained behavioural data, plasma samples, and peripheral blood lymphocytes from individuals living in rural villages in Cameroon. We did serological testing, PCR, and sequence analysis to obtain evidence of retrovirus infection. Findings Zoonotic infections with simian foamy virus (SFV), a retrovirus endemic in most Old World primates, were identified in people living in central African forests who reported direct contact with blood and body fluids of wild non-human primates. Ten (1%) of 1099 individuals had antibodies to SFV. Sequence analysis from these individuals revealed three geographically-independent human SFV infections, each of which was acquired from a distinct non-human primate lineage: De Brazza's guenon (Cercopithecus neglectus), mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx), and gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), two of which (De Brazza's guenon and mandrill) are naturally infected with SIV. Interpretation Our findings show that retroviruses are actively crossing into human populations, and demonstrate that people in central Africa are currently infected with SFV. Contact with non-human primates, such as happens during hunting and butchering, can play a part in the emergence of human retroviruses and the reduction of primate bushmeat hunting has the potential to decrease the frequency of disease emergence.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15787-5
DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15787-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 15043960
AN - SCOPUS:12144290751
SN - 0140-6736
VL - 363
SP - 932
EP - 937
JO - Lancet
JF - Lancet
IS - 9413
ER -