1. Mountain gorilla lymphocryptovirus has Epstein-Barr virus-like epidemiology and pathology in infants.
- Author
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Smiley Evans T, Lowenstine LJ, Gilardi KV, Barry PA, Ssebide BJ, Kinani JF, Nizeyimana F, Noheri JB, Cranfield MR, Mudakikwa A, Goldstein T, Mazet JAK, and Johnson CK
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Gorilla gorilla, Herpesviridae Infections epidemiology, Herpesviridae Infections virology, Histocytochemistry, Lung pathology, Lung virology, Mouth virology, Tumor Virus Infections epidemiology, Tumor Virus Infections virology, Virus Shedding, Ape Diseases epidemiology, Ape Diseases virology, Herpesviridae Infections veterinary, Lymphocryptovirus isolation & purification, Tumor Virus Infections veterinary
- Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects greater than 90% of humans, is recognized as a significant comorbidity with HIV/AIDS, and is an etiologic agent for some human cancers. The critically endangered mountain gorilla population was suspected of infection with an EBV-like virus based on serology and infant histopathology similar to pulmonary reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (PRLH), a condition associated with EBV in HIV-infected children. To further examine the presence of EBV or an EBV-like virus in mountain gorillas, we conducted the first population-wide survey of oral samples for an EBV-like virus in a nonhuman great ape. We discovered that mountain gorillas are widely infected (nā=ā143/332) with a specific strain of lymphocryptovirus 1 (GbbLCV-1). Fifty-two percent of infant mountain gorillas were orally shedding GbbLCV-1, suggesting primary infection during this stage of life, similar to what is seen in humans in less developed countries. We then identified GbbLCV-1 in post-mortem infant lung tissues demonstrating histopathological lesions consistent with PRLH, suggesting primary infection with GbbLCV-1 is associated with PRLH in infants. Together, our findings demonstrate that mountain gorilla's infection with GbbLCV-1 could provide valuable information for human disease in a natural great ape setting and have potential conservation implications in this critically endangered species.
- Published
- 2017
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