title: Phyloepidemiological Analysis Reveals that Viral Divergence Led to the Paucity of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmus/gsn/mon Infections in Wild Populations.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the result of cross-species transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees (SIVcpz). SIVcpz is a chimeric virus which shares common ancestors with viruses infecting red-capped mangabeys and a subset of guenon species. The epidemiology of SIV infection in hominoids is characterized by low prevalences and an uneven geographic distribution. Surveys in Cameroon indicated that two closely related members of the guenon species subset, mustached guenons and greater spot-nosed guenons, infected with SIVmus and SIVgsn, respectively, also have low rates of SIV infections in their populations. Compared to that for other monkeys, including red-capped mangabeys and closely related guenon species, such an epidemiology is unusual. By intensifying sampling of geographically distinct populations of mustached and greater spot-nosed guenons in Gabon and including large sample sets of mona guenons from Cameroon, we add strong support to the hypothesis that the paucity of SIV infections in wild populations is a general feature of this monophyletic group of viruses. Furthermore, comparative phylogenetic analysis reveals that this phenotype is a feature of this group of viruses infecting phylogenetically disparate hosts, suggesting that this epidemiological phenotype results from infection with these HIV-1-related viruses rather than from a common host factor. Thus, these HIV-1-related viruses, i.e., SIVcpz and the guenon viruses which share an ancestor with part of the SIVcpz genome, have an epidemiology distinct from that found for SIVs in other African primate species.IMPORTANCEStable virus-host relationships are established over multiple generations. The prevalence of viral infections in any given host is determined by various factors. Stable virus-host relationships of viruses that are able to cause persistent infections and exist with high incidences of infection are generally characterized by a lack of morbidity prior to host reproduction. Such is the case for cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections of humans. SIV infections of most African primate species also satisfy these criteria, with these infections found at a high prevalence and with rare cases of clinical disease. In contrast, SIVcpz, the ancestor of HIV-1, has a different epidemiology, and it has been reported that infected animals suffer from an AIDS-like disease in the wild. Here we conclusively demonstrate that viruses which are closely related to SIVcpz and infect a subset of guenon monkeys show an epidemiology resembling that of SIVcpz.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom fs335@me.com.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7731-6685
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: UMI233/INSERM1175, IRD, and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liegeois
authors.affiliation: Lab of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Edward J D
authors.initials: EJD
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.affiliation: Mosaic, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LeBreton
authors.affiliation: Lab of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Rétrovirologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deleplancque
authors.affiliation: UMI233/INSERM1175, IRD, and University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: Virology Laboratory CREMER-IMPM, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Avelin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aghokeng
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and San Francisco, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Ubald
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tamoufe
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and San Francisco, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Joseph L D
authors.initials: JLD
authors.lastname: Diffo
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and San Francisco, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Takuo
authors.affiliation: Metabiota, Yaoundé, Cameroon, and San Francisco, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.affiliation: Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Rétrovirologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rouet
authors.affiliation: Lab of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Heeney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002163:Cameroon; D005681:Gabon; D014644:Genetic Variation; D000882:Haplorhini; D058974:Phylogeography; D015995:Prevalence; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019371:Topography, Medical
keywords: Cameroon; Gabon; SIV prevalence; bushmeat; guenon; lentivirus; nonhuman primate; simian immunodeficiency virus