A Severe Bite From a Nonhuman Primate Is a Major Risk Factor for HTLV-1 Infection in Hunters From Central Africa

Filippone, Claudia; Betsem, Edouard; Tortevoye, Patricia; Cassar, Olivier; Bassot, Sylviane; Froment, Alain; Fontanet, Arnaud; Gessain, Antoine

doi:10.1093/cid/civ145

Cited by 65 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This may contribute to a similarly low HTLV-1 prevalence in humans sampled cross-sectionally in both regions. Others have, however, detected variation among ethnic groups in HTLV-1 occurrence in individuals belonging to a high-risk group (being bitten by an NHP), and up to 21% of Pygmies of Cameroon were infected with the virus (6). Nevertheless, the high-risk age and sex groups-young men and older women-identified in this study may serve as primary targets of research, sensitization, and education campaigns.…”

Section: Stlv-1/htlv-1 In Tropical Africa Journal Of Virologymentioning

confidence: 56%

“…Of those, 2 to 7% develop HTLV-1-associated symptoms of adult T-cell leukemia and neurological disorders like tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (5). In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), seroprevalence can reach 3%, e.g., among Pygmy groups in southern Cameroon (6). The area is also a hot spot of HTLV-1 diversity: eight of the nine phylogenetically distinct subtypes (A to J) have been detected in SSA (7,8).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The area is also a hot spot of HTLV-1 diversity: eight of the nine phylogenetically distinct subtypes (A to J) have been detected in SSA (7,8). Another striking feature of HTLV-1 epidemiology in SSA is that human strains sometimes form regional composite clades with simian-derived (STLV-1) sequences (6,8,9). While human-to-human transmission of HTLV-1 through, e.g., sexual intercourse, is a well-acknowledged route of spread (7), such an interspersion indicates that regional HTLV-1 diversity probably partly arose and may still be arising from zoonotic transmission events.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Bushmeat Hunting and Zoonotic Transmission of Simian T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 in Tropical West and Central Africa

Mossoun

Calvignac‐Spencer

Anoh

et al. 2017

J Virol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simian T-lymphotropic virus 1 (STLV-1) enters human populations through contact with nonhuman primate (NHP) bushmeat. We tested whether differences in the extent of contact with STLV-1-infected NHP bushmeat foster regional differences in prevalence of human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1). Using serological and PCR assays, we screened humans and NHPs at two Sub-Saharan African sites where subsistence hunting was expected to be less (Taï region, Côte d'Ivoire [CIV]) or more (Bandundu region, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC]) developed. Only 0.7% of human participants were infected with HTLV-1 in CIV (n ϭ 574), and 1.3% of humans were infected in DRC (n ϭ 302). Two of the Ivorian human virus sequences were closely related to simian counterparts, indicating ongoing zoonotic transmission. Multivariate analysis of human demographic parameters and behavior confirmed that participants from CIV were less often exposed to NHPs than participants from DRC through direct contact, e.g., butchering. At the same time, numbers of STLV-1-infected NHPs were higher in CIV (39%; n ϭ 111) than in DRC (23%; n ϭ 39). We conclude that similar ultimate risks of zoonotic STLV-1 transmission-defined as the product of prevalence in local NHP and human rates of contact to fresh NHP carcasses-contribute to the observed comparable rates of HTLV-1 infection in humans in CIV and DRC. We found that young adult men and mature women are most likely exposed to NHPs at both sites. In view of the continued difficulties in controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks, the identification of such groups at high risk of NHP exposure may guide future prevention efforts.IMPORTANCE Multiple studies report a high risk for zoonotic transmission of bloodborne pathogens like retroviruses through contact with NHPs, and this risk seems to be particularly high in tropical Africa. Here, we reveal high levels of exposure to NHP bushmeat in two regions of Western and Central tropical Africa. We provide evidence for continued zoonotic origin of HTLV-1 in humans at CIV, and we found that young men and mature women represent risk groups for zoonotic transmission of pathogens from NHPs. Identifying such risk groups can contribute to mitigation of not only zoonotic STLV-1 transmission but also transmission of any blood-borne pathogen onto humans in Sub-Saharan Africa.

show abstract

Section: Stlv-1/htlv-1 In Tropical Africa Journal Of Virologymentioning

confidence: 56%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bushmeat Hunting and Zoonotic Transmission of Simian T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 in Tropical West and Central Africa

Mossoun

Calvignac‐Spencer

Anoh

et al. 2017

J Virol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…HTLV-1 can be transmitted through prolonged breast feeding, sexual intercourse, and transfusion of contaminated blood. In some African countries, zoonotic transmission to humans by severe bites from simian T cell leukemia virus type 1-infected monkeys has been observed (3). The majority of infected people live without any symptoms; however, in a portion of carriers, HTLV-1 causes adult T cell leukemia (ATL), HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis, and HTLV-1 uveitis/HTLV-1-associated uveitis after a long period of latency (4).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Proviral Features of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 in Carriers with Indeterminate Western Blot Analysis Results

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Western blotting (WB) for human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is performed to confirm anti-HTLV-1 antibodies detected at the initial screening of blood donors and in pregnant women. However, the frequent occurrence of indeterminate results is a problem with this test. We therefore assessed the cause of indeterminate WB results by analyzing HTLV-1 provirus genomic sequences. A quantitative PCR assay measuring HTLV-1 provirus in WB-indeterminate samples revealed that the median proviral load was approximately 100-fold lower than that of WBpositive samples (0.01 versus 0.71 copy/100 cells). Phylogenic analysis of the complete HTLV-1 genomes of WB-indeterminate samples did not identify any specific phylogenetic groups. When we analyzed the nucleotide changes in 19 HTLV-1 isolates from WB-indeterminate samples, we identified 135 single nucleotide substitutions,

show abstract

“…The study of zoonotic SFV infection is relevant as a marker of exposure of humans to NHP pathogens and as a model to understand host-pathogen interactions in the new human host following cross-species transmission of retroviruses. SFVs also merit study for their own potential impact on human health, as vectors for gene therapy and vaccination (Olszko and Trobridge, 2013), and because co-infection with other retroviruses has been reported in humans (Filippone et al, 2015;Switzer et al, 2008). Such a coinfection with SFV has deleterious consequences in macaques experimentally infected with SIV (Choudhary et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new sensitive indicator cell line reveals cross-transactivation of the viral LTR by gorilla and chimpanzee simian foamy viruses

et al. 2016

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The majority of currently identified simian foamy virus (SFV)-infected Cameroonian and Gabonese individuals harbor SFV from the gorilla lineage. We constructed an indicator cell line for the quantification of gorilla SFVs, in which the U3 sequence of a gorilla SFV directs the expression of the β-galactosidase protein. The gorilla foamy virus activated β-galactosidase (GFAB) cells efficiently quantified two zoonotic primary gorilla isolates and SFVs from three chimpanzee subspecies. Primary gorilla SFVs replicated more slowly and at lower levels than primary chimpanzee SFVs. Analysis of previously described motifs of Tas proteins and U3 LTRs involved in viral gene synthesis revealed conservation of such motifs in Tas proteins from gorilla and chimpanzee SFVs, but little sequence homology in the LTR regions previously shown to interact with viral and cellular factors.

show abstract

A Severe Bite From a Nonhuman Primate Is a Major Risk Factor for HTLV-1 Infection in Hunters From Central Africa

Abstract: These results strongly suggest ongoing direct zoonotic acquisition of STLV-1 in humans through severe NHP bites during hunting activities.

Cited by 65 publications

References 39 publications

Bushmeat Hunting and Zoonotic Transmission of Simian T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 in Tropical West and Central Africa

Bushmeat Hunting and Zoonotic Transmission of Simian T-Lymphotropic Virus 1 in Tropical West and Central Africa

Proviral Features of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 in Carriers with Indeterminate Western Blot Analysis Results

A new sensitive indicator cell line reveals cross-transactivation of the viral LTR by gorilla and chimpanzee simian foamy viruses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About