Clinical and virological characterization of persistent human infection with simian foamy viruses.
Persons occupationally exposed to nonhuman primates (NHPs) can be persistently infected with simian foamy virus (SFV). The clinical significance and person-to-person transmissibility of zoonotic SFV infection is unclear. Seven SFV-infected men responded to annual structured interviews and provided whole blood, oral, and urogenital specimens for study. Wives were tested for SFV infection. Proviral DNA was consistently detected by PCR in PBMCs of infected men and inconsistently in oral or urogenital samples. SFV was infrequently cultured from their PBMCs and throat swabs. Despite this and a long period of intimate exposure (median 20 years), wives were SFV negative. Most participants reported nonspecific symptoms and diseases common to aging. However, one of two persons with mild thrombocytopenia had clinically asymptomatic nonprogressive, monoclonal natural killer cell lymphocytosis of unclear relationship to SFV. All participants worked with NHPs before 1988 using mucocutaneous protection inconsistently; 57% described percutaneous injuries involving the infecting NHP species. SFV likely transmits to humans through both percutaneous and mucocutaneous exposures to NHP body fluids. Limited follow-up has not identified SFV-associated illness and secondary transmission among humans.
Boneva
Roumiana S
RS
HIV and Retrovirology Branch, Division of AIDS, STD and TB Laboratory Research, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
Switzer
William M
WM
Spira
Thomas J
TJ
Bhullar
Vinod B
VB
Shanmugam
Vedapuri
V
Cong
Mian-Er
ME
Lam
Lee
L
Heneine
Walid
W
Folks
Thomas M
TM
Chapman
Louisa E
LE
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011323:Primates; D011533:Proviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000821:virology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology; D053150:Simian foamy virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014556:Urine / Q000821:virology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral