Reemergence ofRestonebolavirusin Cynomolgus Monkeys, the Philippines, 2015

Abstract

In August 2015, a nonhuman primate facility south of Manila, the Philippines, noted unusual deaths of 6 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), characterized by generalized rashes, inappetence, or sudden death. We identified Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) infection in monkeys by using serologic and molecular assays. We isolated viruses in tissues from infected monkeys and determined viral genome sequences. RESTV found in the 2015 outbreak is genetically closer to 1 of the 4 RESTVs that caused the 2008 outbreak among swine. Eight macaques, including 2 also infected with RESTV, tested positive for measles. Concurrently, the measles virus was circulating throughout the Philippines, indicating that the infection of the macaques may be a reverse zoonosis. Improved biosecurity measures will minimize the public health risk, as well as limit the introduction of disease and vectors.

Serological evidence of exposure to ebolaviruses in domestic pigs from Guinea

“…The presence of NP‐specific antibodies in pigs with limited cross‐reactivity between these ebolavirus species has been observed previously (Fischer et al, ). Besides the well‐known presence of EBOV and SUDV in Africa, RESTV or Reston‐like viruses have been described to circulate mainly in Asia (Barrette et al, ; Demetria et al, ; Jayme et al, ; Pan et al, ). However, the recent finding of RESTV‐specific antibodies in African straw‐coloured fruit bats ( Eidolon helvum ) from Zambia suggests the spread of RESTV or Reston‐like viruses in a greater geographical range than previously anticipated (Ogawa et al, ).…”

“…Experimental infection of 5‐week‐old piglets with RESTV alone confirms virus replication and shedding in the absence of clinical signs (Marsh et al, ). While infection of macaques with RESTV is characterized by generalized rashes and/or sudden death, the virus appears to cause asymptomatic infections in humans (Burk et al, ; Demetria et al, ). The finding of RESTV‐specific antibodies in healthy pig farm workers from the Philippines indicated several transmission events between pigs and humans (Barrette et al, ), highlighting the need to investigate the potential role of pigs in the ebolavirus transmission cycle.…”

Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Urban Landscapes: Gastrointestinal Parasitism and Barriers for Healthy Coexistence in Northeast Thailand

“…Furthermore, macaques and people living in close proximity risk zoonotic pathogen transmission via contaminated food and/or water, infected vector species, aerosols, direct contact (e.g., via wounds or fecal-oral transmission), and through the buildup of infective gastrointestinal parasite life stages in shared environments. 1,5,6 Nonhuman primates may carry or be affected by pathogens that also infect humans, including filoviruses such as Ebola, 7 herpes B virus, 8 tuberculosis, 9 norovirus, 10 and simian retroviruses. 11 A particular area of risk in a shared natural environment is the possibility of transmission of gastrointestinal parasites shed in feces 6 including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, 12 and various helminths.…”

Filovirus Disease Outbreaks: A Chronological Overview

“…In 2015, there was an outbreak of EBOD in a non-human facility in the Philippines involving cynomolgus monkeys with no reported human cases. 96 RESTV was found to be the cause of the outbreak, and the virus is reported to be genetically identical to one of four RESTVs responsible for the 2008 outbreak among swine in the Philippines. Three years after the last EBOD outbreak involving humans (2014), an outbreak of EVD was reported in the DRC 97 in 2017, but due to the remoteness of the area and limited services, the response team could not identify the index case.…”