Temple monkeys and health implications of commensalism, Kathmandu, Nepal

The threat of zoonotic transmission of infectious agents at monkey temples highlights the necessity of investigating the prevalence of enzootic infectious agents in these primate populations. Biological samples were collected from 39 rhesus macaques at the Swoyambhu Temple and tested by enzyme-linke...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging infectious diseases 2006-06, Vol.12 (6), p.900-906
Main Authors: Jones-Engel, Lisa, Engel, Gregory A, Heidrich, John, Chalise, Mukesh, Poudel, Narayan, Viscidi, Raphael, Barry, Peter A, Allan, Jonathan S, Grant, Richard, Kyes, Randy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies, Viral - blood
Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1
Communicable diseases
Cytomegalovirus Infections - epidemiology
Cytomegalovirus Infections - veterinary
Cytomegalovirus Infections - virology
Diseases
Female
Herpesviridae Infections - epidemiology
Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary
Herpesviridae Infections - virology
Humans
Lentivirus Infections - epidemiology
Lentivirus Infections - veterinary
Lentivirus Infections - virology
Macaca mulatta
Macaques
Male
Monkey Diseases - epidemiology
Monkey Diseases - virology
Nepal - epidemiology
Polyomavirus Infections - epidemiology
Polyomavirus Infections - veterinary
Polyomavirus Infections - virology
Public Health
RhCMV
Seroepidemiologic Studies
simian foamy virus
simian retrovirus
simian T-cell lymphotropic virus
SV40
Zoonoses - epidemiology
Zoonoses - virology
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Summary:The threat of zoonotic transmission of infectious agents at monkey temples highlights the necessity of investigating the prevalence of enzootic infectious agents in these primate populations. Biological samples were collected from 39 rhesus macaques at the Swoyambhu Temple and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, polymerase chain reaction, or combination of these tests for evidence of infection with rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV), Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (CHV-1), simian virus 40 (SV40), simian retrovirus (SRV), simian T-cell lymphotropic virus (STLV), simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), and simian foamy virus (SFV). Antibody seroprevalence was 94.9% to RhCMV (37/39), 89.7% to SV40 (35/39), 64.1% to CHV-1 (25/39), and 97.4% to SFV (38/39). Humans who come into contact with macaques at Swoyambhu risk exposure to enzootic primateborne viruses. We discuss implications for public health and primate management strategies that would reduce contact between humans and primates.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059
DOI:10.3201/eid1206.060030