TY - GEN T1 - No evidence for transmission of SIVwrc from western red colobus monkeys (piliocolobus badius badius) to wild west african chimpanzees (pan troglodytes verus) despite high exposure through hunting AU - Leendertz, Siv Aina J. AU - Locatelli, Sabrina AU - Boesch, Christophe AU - Kücherer, Claudia AU - Formenty, Pierre AU - Liegeois, Florian AU - Ayouba, Ahidjo AU - Peeters, Martine AU - Leendertz, Fabian AB - Background: Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses (SIVs) are the precursors of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIVs) which have lead to the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. By studying SIVs in wild primates we can better understand the circulation of these viruses in their natural hosts and habitat, and perhaps identify factors that influence susceptibility and transmission within and between various host species. We investigated the SIV status of wild West African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) which frequently hunt and consume the western red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus badius badius), a species known to be infected to a high percentage with its specific SIV strain (SIVwrc).Results: Blood and plasma samples from 32 wild chimpanzees were tested with INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score kit to detect cross-reactive antibodies to HIV antigens. Twenty-three of the samples were also tested for antibodies to 43 specific SIV and HIV lineages, including SIVwrc. Tissue samples from all but two chimpanzees were tested for SIV by PCRs using generic SIV primers that detect all known primate lentiviruses as well as primers designed to specifically detect SIVwrc. Seventeen of the chimpanzees showed varying degrees of cross-reactivity to the HIV specific antigens in the INNO-LIA test; however no sample had antibodies to SIV or HIV strain - and lineage specific antigens in the Luminex test. No SIV DNA was found in any of the samples. Conclusions: We could not detect any conclusive trace of SIV infection from the red colobus monkeys in the chimpanzees, despite high exposure to this virus through frequent hunting. The results of our study raise interesting questions regarding the host-parasite relationship of SIVwrc and wild chimpanzees in their natural habitat. KW - Animals KW - Simian immunodeficiency virus/immunology KW - Pan troglodytes KW - Antibodies Viral/blood KW - Colobus KW - Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/blood KW - Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/transmission KW - Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/virology KW - Simian immunodeficiency virus/isolation & purification KW - Simian immunodeficiency virus/pathogenicity KW - 610 Medizin PY - 2011 LA - eng PB - Robert Koch-Institut, Infektionskrankheiten / Erreger VL - 11 IS - 24 DO - 10.1186/1471-2180-11-24 ER -