Simian T cell leukaemia virus type I subtype B in a wild-caught gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes vellerosus) from Cameroon.
A serological survey for human T cell leukaemia virus (HTLV)/simian T cell leukaemia virus (STLV) antibodies was performed in 61 wild-caught African apes, including five gorillas and 56 chimpanzees originating from south Cameroon. Two young animals, a gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes vellerosus), exhibited a pattern of complete HTLV-I seroreactivity. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analyses using the complete LTR (750 bp) and a 522 bp fragment of the env gene indicated the existence of two novel STLV-I strains, both of which belonged to HTLV-I/STLV-I molecular clade subtype B, specific to central Africa. These first STLV-I strains to be characterized in gorilla and chimpanzee were closely related to each other as well as to several HTLV-I strains originating from inhabitants of south Cameroon, including pygmies. Such findings reinforce the hypothesis of interspecies transmission of STLV-I to humans, leading to the present day distribution of HTLV-I in central African inhabitants.
Nerrienet
Eric
E
Laboratoire de virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, BP 1274, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Meertens
Laurent
L
Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département d'Ecosystème et Epidémiologie des Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Kfutwah
Anfumbom
A
Laboratoire de virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, BP 1274, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Foupouapouognigni
Yacouba
Y
Laboratoire de virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, BP 1274, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Ayouba
Ahidjo
A
Laboratoire de virologie, Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, BP 1274, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Gessain
Antoine
A
Unité d'Epidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, Département d'Ecosystème et Epidémiologie des Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000821:virology*; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015303:Simian T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020079:Terminal Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015686:Gene Products, env; D015481:HTLV-I Antibodies