14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections Los Angeles, California - February 25-28, 2007

Conf Retrovir Opportunistic Infect 2007 Feb 25-28;14: (abstract no. 5)

Antoine Gessain¹, S Calattini¹, E Betsem², A Froment³, P Mauclere^1,4, P Tortevoye¹, C Schmitt¹, R Njouom⁴, and A Saibo^5
1Pasteur Inst, Paris, France; ²Med Univ of Yaounde, Cameroon; ³Inst for Res and Devt, Orleans, France; ⁴Pasteur Ctr of Cameroon, Yaounde; and ⁵Hosp St Louis, Paris, France

BACKGROUND: Foamy viruses (FV) are exogenous retroviruses that are highly prevalent in animal species, including non-human primates, where they cause persistent infections. Among captive non-human primate populations, simian FV (SFV) seroprevalence can reach 75 to 100% in adults, and viruses are present at a high concentration in infected animals’ saliva. Few data are available concerning FV in humans: Infection has been reported in 1 to 4% of persons occupationally exposed to non-human primates in zoos and primate centers, mainly in North America. Interestingly, this rate is much higher than that observed in the same populations for other retroviruses. Recently, naturally acquired SFV infections were described in a few hunters living in Cameroon, and in 1 person who had with frequent contact with Macaca fascicularis in a temple in Bali, as demonstrated by both specific serological and molecular assays.

METHODS: After the demonstration of a high prevalence and genetic diversity of SFV in different Central African monkey and ape populations, we investigated the presence of SFV infection in human populations (Bantus and Pygmies) living in south Cameroon.

RESULTS: In a first study, among 1164 adults, 4 were found SFV-positive by specific whole blood, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In a second study, among a group of 56 individuals reporting direct contact with non-human primates during hunting activities, 42% (8 of 19) of those with an ape encounter were SFV infected, while they were only 5.4% (2 of 37) when the contact was with a monkey. In 1 whole blood seropositive case, the PCR was negative. Overall, 7 individuals were infected with a gorilla FV, 4 with a chimpanzee FV, and 2 with a monkey FV (mandrill and Cercopithecus). In 2 cases, FV was isolated in culture. In all cases but 1, a perfect match exists between the history of contact with a given non-human primate species, which in some cases occurred several decades ago, and the SFV sequence found in the infected individual.

CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate a high and efficient transmission of SFV to humans in natural settings in Central Africa specifically following severe bites by apes, and the viral persistence over several decades in the new human host.

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2007-02-25
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