Simian immunodeficiency virus infection in a patas monkey (Erythrocebus patas): evidence for cross-species transmission from African green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) in the wild

Abstract

Socio-ethological studies on troops of African green monkeys (AGMs) (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) and patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas) in Senegal have documented physical contacts between these two species. Elevated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) seroprevalence rates have been reported for the different AGM subspecies. We report here the extent to which patas monkeys are infected and compare the relatedness of the viruses isolated from these two different species. Among the 85 AGMs and 54 patas monkeys studied, 47 % and 7-5 %, respectively, had antibodies that crossreacted with HIV-2 envelope proteins. From two AGMs a virus was isolated. From the patas monkeys, virus isolation was generally not possible, but from one animal that was ill a virus designated pamG31 was amplified by PCR. In addition, for the two SlVagm isolates, an 830bp region spanning the env and nef genes was amplified and sequenced. Comparisons of sequences from the env/nefregion revealed 80 % identity between pamG31 and SIVagm isolates from AGMs of the sabaeus subspecies, and 94 % identity between the two SIVagm isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that pamG31 belongs to the SIVagm sabaeus subgroup. This is the first report of a lentiviral infection in a patas monkey. The close genetic relatedness between pamG31 and SIVagrn sabaeus viruses is a strong argument in favour of crossspecies transmission of SIV between AGMs and patas monkeys in the wild. For these reasons, we propose to refer to this patas virus as SIVagm-pamG31.

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Free-Ranging Sooty Mangabeys ( Cercocebus atys atys ) from the Taï Forest, Côte d'Ivoire: Implications for the Origin of Epidemic Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2

“…Although biased toward an older age group (since no infants were sampled), this estimate is very similar to prevalence rates previously reported for captive (58%) and wild-caught (57%) sooty mangabeys (2,21). Thus, the infection levels of wildliving sooty mangabeys approach those of wild-living African green monkeys (1,7,35,53) and mandrills (70), which are among the most commonly infected primate species known to date. Moreover, the finding of SIVsmm at still another location within the sooty mangabey range supports the notion that this infection is uniformly distributed and widespread (Fig.…”

Identification of a New Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Lineage with a vpu Gene Present among Different Cercopithecus Monkeys ( C. mona , C. cephus , and C. nictitans ) from Cameroon

“…Indeed, the fact that HIV-1 and HIV-2 belong to two different lineages of SIVs (SIVcpz from chimpanzees and SIVsm from sooty mangabeys, respectively) suggests that both are the result of several zoonotic transmissions. In the wild, cross-species transmissions of SIVs have also occurred between monkey species in Africa: for example, SIV infection of baboons and patas monkeys by viruses derived from the local sympatric species of African green monkeys have been reported (5,17,29). Also, mosaic SIV genomes are indirect evidence that both crossspecies transmission and coinfection of viruses have occurred in the wild.…”

Origin and Biology of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus in Wild-Living Western Gorillas

“…Although each of these primate species harbors a genetically distinct lineage of SIV, phylogenetic evidence indicates that SIVs have crossed species boundaries on numerous occasions in the past (5,6,30,57). Until recently, SIV cross-species transmissions could be detected only by analyzing blood samples coincident with the capture or killing of primates (10,32,73). However, the development of noninvasive viral detection methods has transformed the way infectious agents, including SIV, can be studied in wild-living primate populations (33,38,(51)(52)(53)(54)70).…”