Molecular epidemiology of simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV) in wild-caught monkeys and apes from Cameroon: a new STLV-1, related to human T-lymphotropic virus subtype F, in a Cercocebus agilis

J Gen Virol. 2001 Dec;82(Pt 12):2973-2977. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-82-12-2973.

Abstract

A serological survey for human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)/simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV) antibodies was performed in 102 wild-caught monkeys and apes from 15 (sub)species originating from Cameroon. Two animals (a Mandrillus sphinx and a Cercocebus agilis) exhibited a complete HTLV-1 seroreactivity pattern while two others lacked either the p24 (a Mandrillus sphinx) or the MTA-1/gp46 bands (a Pan troglodytes). Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analyses, using a 522 bp env gene fragment and the complete LTR, indicated that the two mandrill STLV strains belonged to the HTLV/STLV subtype D clade while the chimpanzee strain clustered in the HTLV/STLV subtype B clade. The Cercocebus agilis STLV strain, the first one found in this species, was closely related to the two HTLV/STLV subtype F strains. Such data indicate that the African biodiversity of STLV-1 in the wild is far from being known and reinforces the hypothesis of interspecies transmission of STLV-1 from monkeys and apes to humans leading to the present day distribution of HTLV-1 in African inhabitants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ape Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cameroon / epidemiology
  • Cercocebus / virology*
  • Deltaretrovirus Infections / veterinary*
  • Monkey Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Papio / virology*
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Simian T-lymphotropic virus 1 / genetics*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral