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Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Published on: February 15, 2019
Primate-to-human retroviral transmission in Asia
Lisa Jones-Engel1, Gregory A Engel, Michael A Schillaci
1University of Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jonesengel@bart.rprc.washington.edu
Abstract:
We describe the first reported transmission to a human of simian foamy virus (SFV) from a free-ranging population of nonhuman primates in Asia. The transmission of an exogenous retrovirus, SFV, from macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to a human at a monkey temple in Bali, Indonesia, was investigated with molecular and serologic techniques. Antibodies to SFV were detected by Western blotting of serum from 1 of 82 humans tested. SFV DNA was detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the blood of the same person. Cloning and sequencing of PCR products confirmed the virus's close phylogenetic relationship to SFV isolated from macaques at the same temple. This study raises concerns that persons who work at or live around monkey temples are at risk for infection with SFV.
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