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The Risk of Using Baboons as Transplant Donors: Exogenous and Endogenous Viruses
Author(s) -
ALLAN JONATHAN S.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09120.x
Subject(s) - endogeny , virology , medicine , biology
African nonhuman primates harbor several exogenous and endogenous retroviruses which deserve further consideration in the transplant setting. In particular, simian foamy viruses (SFV), simian T‐cell lymphotropic virus (STLV), baboon endogenous virus (BaEV), and simian endogenous retrovirus (SERV) are all carried by baboons and may be transmitted to humans by transplantation. We have found baboons to have high seroprevalence rates to both SFV and STLV, and molecular and serologic methods have been developed to detect such agents. In addition, current nonhuman primate breeding programs have thus far not focused on eliminating these viruses. In summary, the close genetic relationship with humans and number of persistent viral infections in baboons translates into a much greater infectious disease risk when compared to that of other domesticated species.