Simian T-lymphotropic virus diversity among nonhuman primates, Cameroon.
Cross-species transmission of retroviruses is common in Cameroon. To determine risk for simian T-cell lymphotropic virus (STLV) transmission from nonhuman primates to hunters, we examined 170 hunter-collected dried blood spots (DBS) from 12 species for STLV. PCR with generic tax and group-specific long terminal repeat primers showed that 12 (7%) specimens from 4 nonhuman primate species were infected with STLV. Phylogenetic analyses showed broad diversity of STLV, including novel STLV-1 and STLV-3 sequences and a highly divergent STLV-3 subtype found in Cercopithecus mona and C. nictitans monkeys. Screening of peripheral blood mononuclear cell DNA from 63 HTLV-seroreactive, PCR-negative hunters did not identify human infections with this divergent STLV-3. Therefore, hunter-collected DBS can effectively capture STLV diversity at the point where pathogen spillover occurs. Broad screening using this relatively easy collection strategy has potential for large-scale monitoring of retrovirus cross-species transmission among highly exposed human populations.
Sintasath
David M
DM
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Wolfe
Nathan D
ND
Lebreton
Matthew
M
Jia
Hongwei
H
Garcia
Albert D
AD
Le Doux-Diffo
Joseph
J
Tamoufe
Ubald
U
Carr
Jean K
JK
Folks
Thomas M
TM
Mpoudi-Ngole
Eitel
E
Burke
Donald S
DS
Heneine
Walid
W
Switzer
William M
WM
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002520:Cercopithecidae / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000821:virology; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D030282:Primate T-lymphotropic virus 3 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015303:Simian T-lymphotropic virus 1 / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011443:Strepsirhini / Q000145:classification / Q000821:virology*