HTLV in Sweden: antibodies to HTLV I antigens in experimental monkeys and their caretakers.
252 monkeys kept at 4 different Swedish universities and laboratories for experimentation were screened for antibodies to HTLV I associated antigens by means of a sensitive membrane antigen enzyme immunoassay (MA-ELISA). 17/185 Macaca fascicularis, 1/56 M. mulatta, 0/1 Cercopithecus aetiops and 0/10 Saimirii squiureus had antibodies. All of 11 MA-ELISA positive animals which were subjected to further testing were also positive in a competition assay for anti-HTLV p19 antibodies and in an anti-whole virion enzyme immunoassay. One colony of 32 M. fascicularis monkeys from the Philippines contained 7 antibody-positive animals. Except for one M. fascicularis which suffered from a chronic dermal lesion, major disease was not observed in any of the antibody-positive animals. None of 28 animal caretakers or experimenters, of which several had been repeatedly exposed to blood from antibody-positive animals, had antibodies measurable by the MA-ELISA. The contagiosity for humans of the majority of the antibody-positive monkeys thus appears to be relatively low. We conclude that the presence in Sweden of HTLV I antibody-positive animals probably does not constitute a great health risk. However, we consider it appropriate that antibody-positive animals should be handled with special care.
Blomberg
J
J
Nilsson
I
I
Kjellén
L
L
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D017977:Deltaretrovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000882:Haplorhini / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008252:Macaca fascicularis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D012453:Saimiri / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D013548:Sweden
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral