A possible case of hantavirus infection in a Borneo orangutan and its conservation implication.
BACKGROUND
Natural infection of hantavirus in orangutans has never been reported.


METHODS
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and RT-PCR were used to diagnosis a suspected case in a pet orangutan in southern Taiwan.


RESULTS
Although the RT-PCR result was negative, the high IgG titer in the beginning and its dramatic drop after treatments suggested a recent Seoul-type hantavirus infection.


CONCLUSIONS
Hantavirus transmission and its potential damage to wild orangutans should not be overlooked.
Chen
C-C
CC
Pingtung Rescue Center for Endangered Wild Animals, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, Taiwan.
Pei
K J-C
KJ
Yang
C-M
CM
Kuo
M-D
MD
Wong
S-T
ST
Kuo
S-C
SC
Lin
F-G
FG
D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D056727:Endangered Species; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D018778:Hantavirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D057805:Pets; D011148:Pongo pygmaeus; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D007074:Immunoglobulin G