title: First Detection of an Enterovirus C99 in a Captive Chimpanzee with Acute Flaccid Paralysis, from the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center, Republic of Congo.
abstract: Enteroviruses, members of the Picornaviridae family, are ubiquitous viruses responsible for mild to severe infections in human populations around the world. In 2010 Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo recorded an outbreak of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in the humans, caused by wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1). One month later, in the Tchimpounga sanctuary near Pointe-Noire, a chimpanzee developed signs similar to AFP, with paralysis of the lower limbs. In the present work, we sought to identify the pathogen, including viral and bacterial agents, responsible for this illness. In order to identify the causative agent, we evaluated a fecal specimen by PCR and sequencing. A Human enterovirus C, specifically of the EV-C99 type was potentially responsible for the illness in this chimpanzee. To rule out other possible causative agents, we also investigated the bacteriome and the virome using next generation sequencing. The majority of bacterial reads obtained belonged to commensal bacteria (95%), and the mammalian virus reads matched mainly with viruses of the Picornaviridae family (99%), in which enteroviruses were the most abundant (99.6%). This study thus reports the first identification of a chimpanzee presenting AFP most likely caused by an enterovirus and demonstrates once again the cross-species transmission of a human pathogen to an ape.
authors: Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville, BP769, Franceville, Gabon; Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Illich Manfred
authors: IM
authors: Mombo
authors: Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville, BP769, Franceville, Gabon; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR3569, 25 rue du docteur Roux, 75724, Paris, France.
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Berthet
authors: Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalities, Moscow, Russia.
authors: Alexander N
authors: AN
authors: Lukashev
authors: Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Bleicker
authors: Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Brünink
authors: Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Lucas
authors: L
authors: Léger
authors: The Jane Goodall Institute, Suite 550, 1595 Spring Hill Rd, Vienna, Virginia, 22182, United States of America.
authors: Rebeca
authors: R
authors: Atencia
authors: The Jane Goodall Institute, Suite 550, 1595 Spring Hill Rd, Vienna, Virginia, 22182, United States of America.
authors: Debby
authors: D
authors: Cox
authors: Institut Pasteur, Genomic platform, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, F-75724, Paris, France.
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Bouchier
authors: Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Durand
authors: Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Céline
authors: C
authors: Arnathau
authors: Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Lionel
authors: L
authors: Brazier
authors: Metabiota, Inc., 1 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, California, 94104, United States of America.
authors: Joseph N
authors: JN
authors: Fair
authors: Metabiota, Inc., 1 Sutter Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, California, 94104, United States of America.
authors: Bradley S
authors: BS
authors: Schneider
authors: Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Jan Felix
authors: JF
authors: Drexler
authors: Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville, BP769, Franceville, Gabon; Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Franck
authors: F
authors: Prugnolle
authors: Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Drosten
authors: Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France; CHRU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Renaud
authors: Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville, BP769, Franceville, Gabon; Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Eric M
authors: EM
authors: Leroy
authors: Centre International de Recherche Médicale de Franceville, BP769, Franceville, Gabon; Laboratoire MIVEGEC UMR 224-5290 CNRS-IRD-UM1-UM2, IRD, Montpellier, France.
authors: Virginie
authors: V
authors: Rougeron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003223:Congo; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D030015:Enterovirus C, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D017955:Poliovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity