title: Encephalomyocarditis virus mortality in semi-wild bonobos (Pan panicus).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatal myocarditis from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) infection has previously been identified in sporadic and epidemic forms in many species of captive non-human primates probably including one bonobo (Pan paniscus).
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the deaths of two bonobos that were suspicious of EMCV using a combination of histopathology, immunohistochemistry and, for one of the two bonobos, reverse transcription PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histopathological examination of heart tissue from the two bonobos showed changes characteristic of EMCV. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the presence of EMCV antigen in heart tissue of both and in kidney and intestine of one of the bonobos. EMCV RNA was also isolated from the serum of the bonobo tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these findings confirm that EMCV was responsible for deaths of the two bonobos. Strict separation of bonobos in particular and captive primates in general from potential sources of EMCV contamination should be maintained to prevent mortality caused by EMCV.
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Group-Portex Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK. p.jones@ich.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cordonnier
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mahamba
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rakotovao
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Swanepoel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dauger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bakkali Kassimi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology*; D018188:Cardiovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo; D004686:Encephalomyocarditis virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D019974:Pan paniscus; D010802:Phylogeny