The use of non-human primates as animal models for the study of hepatitis viruses.
Hepatitis viruses belong to different families and have in common a striking hepatotropism and restrictions for propagation in cell culture. The transmissibility of hepatitis is in great part limited to non-human primates. Enterically transmitted hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A virus and hepatitis E virus) can induce hepatitis in a number of Old World and New World monkey species, while the host range of non-human primates susceptible to hepatitis viruses transmitted by the parenteral route (hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and hepatitis delta virus) is restricted to few species of Old World monkeys, especially the chimpanzee. Experimental studies on non-human primates have provided an invaluable source of information regarding the biology and pathogenesis of these viruses, and represent a still indispensable tool for vaccine and drug testing.
Departamento de Virologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
C L
CL
Vitral
C F
CF
Yoshida
A M
AM
Gaspar
D000818:Animals; D002427:Cebidae; D002520:Cercopithecidae; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D014779:Virus Replication