Differential distribution of antibodies to different viruses in young animals in the free-ranging rhesus macaques of Cayo Santiago.
BACKGROUND
The breeding colony of free-ranging rhesus macaques was established in 1938 in Cayo Santiago (CS) with animals collected in northern India. The seroprevalence to cercopithecine herpesvirus type 1 (B virus) and simian retroviruses has been studied previously.


RESULTS
This is the first report on the seropositivity to different viruses using samples collected shortly after removing animals (n = 245) from CS. All samples were negative for measles, simian immunodeficiency virus and simian type D retroviruses. The overall prevalence of antibodies was around 50% for simian T-lymphotropic virus I (STLV-I). For B virus, the prevalence was 38%.


CONCLUSIONS
Data obtained showed marked differences in the antibody distribution to B virus and STLV-I within the free-ranging colony of rhesus macaques. Implication of these data for the Specific Pathogen Free program at the Caribbean Primate Research Center are also discussed.
Sariol
C A
CA
Caribbean Primate Research Center, Unit of Comparative Medicine, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, USA. csariol@rcm.upr.edu
González-Martínez
J
J
Arana
T
T
Gascot
S
S
Suárez
E
E
Maldonado
E
E
Gerald
M S
MS
Rodríguez
M
M
Kraiselburd
E N
EN
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D017691:Caribbean Region; D006568:Herpesvirus 1, Cercopithecine / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D015303:Simian T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral