Unique Pattern of Enzootic Primate Viruses in Gibraltar Macaques
Author Information
Author(s): Gregory A. Engel, Mark Pizarro, Eric Shaw, John Cortes, Agustin Fuentes, Peter Barry, Richard Grant, Nicholas Lerche, Douglas Cohn, Lisa Jones-Engel
Primary Institution: University of Washington National Primate Research Center
Hypothesis
What is the seroprevalence of enzootic primate viruses in Gibraltar macaques?
Conclusion
Gibraltar macaques show a unique serological profile with high prevalence of simian foamy virus but no evidence of infection with herpesvirus B or simian immunodeficiency virus.
Supporting Evidence
- All 79 macaques were seronegative for herpesvirus B, simian T-cell lymphotropic virus, simian retrovirus, and rhesus cytomegalovirus.
- Seroprevalence of simian foamy virus reached 88% among adult animals.
- The population shows no evidence of infection with either CeHV-1 or RhCMV.
- Prevalence of SFV infection increased with age, from 20% among young juveniles to ≈90% among adults.
Takeaway
Researchers studied Gibraltar's macaques to see if they had certain viruses. They found that most had one virus called simian foamy virus, but none had other viruses that are usually found in macaques.
Methodology
A longitudinal serosurvey was conducted, sampling 79 macaques for antibodies to six known enzootic nonhuman primate-borne viruses.
Limitations
The study may not account for all potential zoonotic viruses present in the macaque population.
Participant Demographics
The study included 79 Gibraltar macaques of varying ages and sexes.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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