Simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas): evidence for cross-species transmission from African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) in the wild

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1996-04, Vol.77 (4), p.773-781
• Main Authors: Bibollet-Ruche, Frederic, Galat-Luong, Anh, Cuny, Gerard, Sarni-Manchado, Pascale, Galat, Gerard, Durand, Jean-Paul, Pourrut, Xavier, Veas, Francisco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AIDS/HIV; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Base Sequence; Cercopithecus aethiops; Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus; Disease Transmission, Infectious; DNA, Viral; Erythrocebus patas; Female; Male; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - transmission; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - virology; simian immunodeficiency virus; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - genetics; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - immunology; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - physiology; Species Specificity
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-77-4-773

1 Laboratoire Rétrovirus, ORSTOM, 911 Avenue Agropolis, BP 5045, 34032 Montpellier cedex 1, France 2 Laboratoire de Primatologie, ORSTOM, BP 1386, Dakar, Senegal and 3 Laboratoire des virus, Institut Pasteur, BP 220, Dakar, Senegal Socio-ethological studies on troops of African green monkeys (AGMs) ( Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus ) and patas monkeys ( Erythrocebus patas ) in Senegal have documented physical contacts between these two species. Elevated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) seroprevalence rates have been reported for the different AGM subspecies. We report here the extent to which patas monkeys are infected and compare the relatedness of the viruses isolated from these two different species. Among the 85 AGMs and 54 patas monkeys studied, 47% and 7.5%, respectively, had antibodies that cross-reacted with HIV-2 envelope proteins. From two AGMs a virus was isolated. From the patas monkeys, virus isolation was generally not possible, but from one animal that was ill a virus designated pamG31 was amplified by PCR. In addition, for the two SIVagm isolates, an 830 bp region spanning the env and nef genes was amplified and sequenced. Comparisons of sequences from the env/nef region revealed 80% identity between pamG31 and SIVagm isolates from AGMs of the sabaeus subspecies, and 94% identity between the two SIVagm isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that pamG31 belongs to the SIVagm sabaeus subgroup. This is the first report of a lentiviral infection in a patas monkey. The close genetic relatedness between pamG31 and SIVagm sabaeus viruses is a strong argument in favour of cross-species transmission of SIV between AGMs and patas monkeys in the wild. For these reasons, we propose to refer to this patas virus as SIVagm-pamG31. * Author for correspondence. Fax: [phone]. e-mail [e-mail] Present address: Laboratoire des polymères et des techniques physicochimiques, IPV, INRA, 2 place Viala, 34060 Montpellier, France. Present address: DIMT, PHARO IMTSSA, 13007 Marseille, France. Received 18 September 1995; accepted 14 December 1995.