Isolation and characterization of lymphocyte associated foamy virus from a red uakari monkey (Cacajao rubicundus)

A syncytium-forming virus was isolated from the lymphocytes of a uakari monkey 70 days after establishing a lymphocyte/owl monkey kidney coculture in the wild. The morphology and morphogenesis of the virus, plus its physicochemical characteristics indicate that the agent is a foamy virus. An unusal cell alteration found in cultures infected with this foamy was the formation of eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion in association with the syncytia. The agent was found to be antigenically distinct to other known simian foamy viruses.