title: Absence of frequent herpesvirus transmission in a nonhuman primate predator-prey system in the wild.
abstract: Emergence of viruses into the human population by transmission from nonhuman primates (NHPs) represents a serious potential threat to human health that is primarily associated with the increased bushmeat trade. Transmission of RNA viruses across primate species appears to be relatively frequent. In contrast, DNA viruses appear to be largely host specific, suggesting low transmission potential. Herein, we use a primate predator-prey system to study the risk of herpesvirus transmission between different primate species in the wild. The system was comprised of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) and their primary (western red colobus, Piliocolobus badius badius) and secondary (black-and-white colobus, Colobus polykomos) prey monkey species. NHP species were frequently observed to be coinfected with multiple beta- and gammaherpesviruses (including new cytomegalo- and rhadinoviruses). However, despite frequent exposure of chimpanzees to blood, organs, and bones of their herpesvirus-infected monkey prey, there was no evidence for cross-species herpesvirus transmission. These findings suggest that interspecies transmission of NHP beta- and gammaherpesviruses is, at most, a rare event in the wild.
authors.affiliation: Division 12, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Viruses Affecting Immunocompromised Patients, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sripriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murthy
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Couacy-Hymann
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Metzger
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Nys
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boesch
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.forename: Fabian H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Leendertz
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ehlers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003104:Colobus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D011323:Primates / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral