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Low rates of transmission of SRV‐2 and STLV‐I to juveniles in a population of Macaca fascicularis facilitate establishment of specific retrovirus‐free colonies
Author(s) -
Mee E.T.,
Murrell C.K.,
Watkins J.,
Almond N.,
Cutler K.,
Rose N.J.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of medical primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 42
eISSN - 1600-0684
pISSN - 0047-2565
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0684.2008.00335.x
Subject(s) - biology , transmission (telecommunications) , zoology , retrovirus , population , virology , veterinary medicine , ecology , demography , virus , medicine , computer science , telecommunications , sociology
Background Prevalence of simian retrovirus‐2 (SRV‐2) and simian T lymphotropic virus type I (STLV‐I), was unknown in 337 captive cynomolgus macaques. Methods and Results Molecular assays identified 29% of animals as SRV‐2 mono‐infected, 4% of animals as STLV‐I mono‐infected and 9% of animals as dual‐infected. Of 108 juvenile animals, 83% were SRV‐2‐negative and no juvenile animal was STLV‐I‐positive. A subsequent study of juvenile macaques over a period of 2.5 years detected no STLV‐I and 10 SRV‐2 infections, six of which occurred between testing and day of colony formation. The study also highlighted that an anti‐SRV‐2 serological response does not presuppose infection. Tissue reservoirs of latent SRV‐2 were not identified in suspected SRV‐2 infections. Conclusions Low transmissibility of the viruses present in the parental cohort and improved knowledge of the host response to SRV‐2 has facilitated the creation of specific‐retrovirus‐free colonies of cynomolgus macaques.