Evidence for an alpha-herpesvirus indigenous to mountain gorillas.
Sera from wild mountain gorillas were screened for antibodies reactive with primate alpha-herpesviruses. Four of seven individuals tested (58%) were positive. In all four sera the highest titers were to HSV-2 followed by HSV-1 and SA8. Immunoblot analysis confirmed a preferential reactivity with HSV-2 antigen. Further analysis by competition ELISA indicated that these gorillas had experienced infection with a virus antigenically similar but not identical to HSV-2. These results represent the first evidence for an alpha-herpesvirus indigenous in a free ranging, nonhuman anthropoid species.
Eberle
R
R
Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Microbiology and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078.
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male
D000914:Antibodies, Viral