Lethal Respiratory Disease Associated with Human Rhinovirus C in Wild Chimpanzees, Uganda, 2013

Abstract

We describe a lethal respiratory outbreak among wild chimpanzees in Uganda in 2013 for which molecular and epidemiologic analyses implicate human rhinovirus C as the cause. Postmortem samples from an infant chimpanzee yielded near-complete genome sequences throughout the respiratory tract; other pathogens were absent. Epidemiologic modeling estimated the basic reproductive number (R0) for the epidemic as 1.83, consistent with the common cold in humans. Genotyping of 41 chimpanzees and examination of 24 published chimpanzee genomes from subspecies across Africa showed universal homozygosity for the cadherin-related family member 3 CDHR3-Y529 allele, which increases risk for rhinovirus C infection and asthma in human children. These results indicate that chimpanzees exhibit a species-wide genetic susceptibility to rhinovirus C and that this virus, heretofore considered a uniquely human pathogen, can cross primate species barriers and threatens wild apes. We advocate engineering interventions and prevention strategies for rhinovirus infections for both humans and wild apes.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of samples from pediatric febrile illness in Tororo, Uganda

“…Overall, we detected at least three HRV-A and eight HRV-C types co-circulating in Tororo District. Of note, during the same collection period, a lethal HRV-C outbreak was reported in chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, in western Uganda [54]; that HRV-C was modestly related to an isolate observed in our study (74% nucleotide identity; 81% amino acid identity) (Fig 3) [54]. Our results confirm that a wide spectrum of HRVs infects Ugandan children.…”

Studying human and nonhuman primate evolutionary biology with powerful in vitro and in vivo functional genomics tools

“…Expression of the functional chimpanzee CMAH enzyme in cultured human cells resulted in comparable P. knowlesi invasion rates between human, chimpanzee, and macaque cells . Similar experiments targeting other pathogen‐interacting proteins that differ substantially among humans and nonhuman primates could be used to explore why other diseases that are deadly to humans but not nonhuman primates or vice versa (e.g., P. falciparum or rhinovirus, respectively) do not progress similarly across host species.…”

Systematic Review of Important Viral Diseases in Africa in Light of the ‘One Health’ Concept

“…From February to September 2013, three different phases of a rhinovirus C outbreak among the chimpanzee population appeared in Uganda. During this outbreak, five chimpanzees (one infant and four adults) died in a population of 56, representing an 8.9% mortality rate [73]. The autopsy of a dead infant chimpanzee revealed that the morphology of lung parenchyma was affected, with hepatic congestion and hepatomegaly.…”

“…The deep sequencing analysis found the sequences of rhinovirus C, which was further confirmed using real time RT-PCR. Interestingly, it was observed that the Kibale National Park where the community of these chimpanzees is based is usually visited by a number of tourists, researchers, and other local people living nearby the reserve, hence the possibility of transmission of the disease from contact appears to be the most likely transmission pathway [73].…”