Human culture and monkey behavior: assessing the contexts of potential pathogen transmission between macaques and humans

Fuentes, Agustín

doi:10.1002/ajp.20295

Cited by 202 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 10 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…In contrast with previous studies of persons who had occupational exposure to nonhuman primates, the exposure of some of the SFV-infected persons in our study was only through their normal daily routines. Previous research on nonhuman primate-human interaction in South and Southeast Asia describes interspecies contact as a frequent phenomenon in this part of the world (29,30). Our study takes this line of inquiry a step further, indicating that interspecies contact leads to nonhuman primate-to-human transmission of SFV in a variety of contexts, in several countries, and from multiple macaque species (Figure 3).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Diverse Contexts of Zoonotic Transmission of Simian Foamy Viruses in Asia

Jones‐Engel

May

Engel

et al. 2008

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

105

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In Asia, contact between persons and nonhuman primates is widespread in multiple occupational and nonoccupational contexts. Simian foamy viruses (SFVs) are retroviruses that are prevalent in all species of nonhuman primates. To determine SFV prevalence in humans, we tested 305 persons who lived or worked around nonhuman primates in several South and Southeast Asian countries; 8 (2.6%) were confi rmed SFV positive by Western blot and, for some, by PCR. The interspecies interactions that likely resulted in virus transmission were diverse; 5 macaque taxa were implicated as the source of infection. Phylogenetic analysis showed that SFV from 3 infected persons was similar to that from the nonhuman primate populations with which the infected persons reported contact. Thus, SFV infections are likely to be prevalent among persons who live or work near nonhuman primates in Asia.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Diverse Contexts of Zoonotic Transmission of Simian Foamy Viruses in Asia

Jones‐Engel

May

Engel

et al. 2008

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

105

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“…The derived model suggests that visitors to monkey temples, which annually may number in the millions, are at risk for SFV infection. Additionally, large numbers of people in Asia are exposed to NHPs in a variety of other contexts and may be similarly at risk for SFV infection (13,17,18,19,29). Effective education, communication, monitoring, and management strategies in areas where humans and NHPs come into contact are needed to reduce the risk of exposure and transmission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, urban and temple monkeys are found throughout South and Southeast Asia (14), and the sheer number of people who come into contact with monkeys in these contexts is large. Consequently, the amount and intensity of contact that occurs between humans and monkeys in Asia puts large numbers of people at risk for SFV infection (11,13,19).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitive Assays for Simian Foamy Viruses Reveal a High Prevalence of Infection in Commensal, Free-Ranging Asian Monkeys

Jones‐Engel

Steinkraus

Murray

et al. 2007

J Virol

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Foamy viruses (FV) are retroviruses that naturally infect many hosts, including most nonhuman primates (NHPs). Zoonotic infection by primate FV has been documented in people inAsia who reported contact with free-ranging macaques. FV transmission in Asia is a concern, given abundant human-NHP contact, particularly at monkey temples and in urban settings. We have developed three assays capable of detecting the presence of FV in Asian NHP species that are commensal with humans: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot assays using recombinant viral Gag protein, and an indicator cell line that can detect macaque FV. The recombinant ELISA correlates very well with the presence of FV sequences detected by PCR. We have used these assays to demonstrate both that FV is highly prevalent among free-ranging NHPs and that seroconversion occurs at a young age in these animals. These assays should also prove useful for large-scale analysis of the prevalence of FV infections in human populations in Asia that are commensal with free-ranging NHPs.Foamy viruses (FV) comprise a subfamily of retroviruses (22). FV were first identified over 50 years ago (10) as contaminants in monkey tissue culture explants. They are highly cytopathic in tissue culture. Infection of a number of cell types, including fibroblasts and epithelial cells, leads to rapid syncytium formation, vacuolization, and cell death. Despite this, infection in animal hosts does not produce a recognized disease state. Rather, FV establish a persistent asymptomatic infection in both natural and zoonotic hosts (reviewed in reference 23). Although proviral DNA can be found in nearly every tissue, indicating infection, the virus only replicates to a detectable level in the oral mucosa. Replication at this site facilitates transfer to other hosts through saliva (26). Although it is not known how latency is maintained in vivo, an in vitro latency model has been described in which viral replication is controlled at the transcriptional level (24).FV are widespread and have been isolated from a variety of nonprimate species, including cows, cats, and horses (reviewed in reference 27). All nonhuman primates (NHPs) examined to date, including gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons, African green monkeys, and macaques (reviewed in reference 12) also harbor FV, called simian foamy viruses (SFV). Infection among captive populations of NHPs is high. Studies from captive and free-ranging populations show that up to 100% of adult NHPs are infected with SFV (2,7,8,16,17,19). Curiously, despite its widespread infection among NHPs, evidence suggests that there is no human-specific FV (reviewed in reference 23). A single report describing HFV (human foamy virus) in a tissue culture that was derived from a Kenyan man (1) is now believed to represent a zoonotic transmission of SFV from chimpanzees (32). There are several reports of zoonotic transmission of SFV from various taxa of NHPs. Many of the infected individuals, such as zoo keepers and animal care workers, had frequ...

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“…Though the local Tourist Board, through GONHS and the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic, has erected signs that explicitly prohibit visitors from feeding macaques many visitors do offer food to the macaques, and some visitors use food to lure macaques onto their head or shoulders (Fuentes, 2006). Previous work on disease transmission between humans and macaques in Asia suggested that transmission of infectious agents both from human-to-macaque and from macaque-to-human occurred in contexts when humans and free-ranging macaques came into contact (Engel et al, 2002;Jones-Engel et al, 2001,2005a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%