title: Codetection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Habituated Wild Western Lowland Gorillas and Humans During a Respiratory Disease Outbreak.
abstract: Pneumoviruses have been identified as causative agents in several respiratory disease outbreaks in habituated wild great apes. Based on phylogenetic evidence, transmission from humans is likely. However, the pathogens have never been detected in the local human population prior to or at the same time as an outbreak. Here, we report the first simultaneous detection of a human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infection in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and in the local human population at a field program in the Central African Republic. A total of 15 gorilla and 15 human fecal samples and 80 human throat swabs were tested for HRSV, human metapneumovirus, and other respiratory viruses. We were able to obtain identical sequences for HRSV A from four gorillas and four humans. In contrast, we did not detect HRSV or any other classic human respiratory virus in gorilla fecal samples in two other outbreaks in the same field program. Enterovirus sequences were detected but the implication of these viruses in the etiology of these outbreaks remains speculative. Our findings of HRSV in wild but human-habituated gorillas underline, once again, the risk of interspecies transmission from humans to endangered great apes.
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Kim S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Grützmacher
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köndgen
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.affiliation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Bayanga, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: Angelique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.affiliation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Bayanga, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feistner
authors.affiliation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Germany, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ilka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herbinger
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, 60365, Czech Republic.|Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Klara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petrzelkova
authors.affiliation: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, Bayanga, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: Terrence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fuh
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Siv Aina
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Leendertz
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calvignac-Spencer
authors.affiliation: Project group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Seestr 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany. LeendertzF@rki.de.
authors.forename: Fabian H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Leendertz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases
keywords: enterovirus; great apes; noninvasive detection; respiratory disease; respiratory syncytial virus; western lowland gorillas