Exposure to Wild Primates among HIV-infected Persons

Matthew Lebreton,Anne W Rimoin,Otto Yang,Cyrille F Djoko,Eitel Mpoudi-Ngole,Nathan D Wolfe,Ubald Tamoufe,Jean K Carr,A Tassy Prosser,Deborah L Birx,Donald S Burke,Judith N Torimiro

doi:10.3201/eid1310.070338

Abstract

HIV-1 is an immunosuppressive pathogen. Our behavioral data for 191 HIV-1-infected rural Cameroonians show frequent exposure to nonhuman primates through activities such as hunting and butchering. Immunosuppression among persons exposed to body fluids of wild nonhuman primates could favor the process of adaptation and subsequent emergence of zoonotic pathogens.

Highlights

African forests, where hunting and butchering nonhuman primates are common practices, provide a ripe environment for zoonotic transmission [5]
We present behavioral data pertaining to animal exposures of HIV-1–infected persons in 17 rural villages in Cameroon [5]
Exposure of immunocompromised persons to nonhuman primates poses ongoing opportunities for zoonotic viruses to leap to humans, and the high concentration of other immunocompromised hosts offers an increased risk for secondary transmission and adaptation to humans

Summary

Exposure to Wild Primates among

Matthew LeBreton,* Otto Yang,† Ubald Tamoufe,* Eitel Mpoudi-Ngole,‡ Judith N. Because HIV-1 infection is epidemic in Africa, persons involved in hunting and butchering of wild animals (including nonhuman primates) are possibly HIV-1–infected and at risk for successful infection with novel zoonotic viral infections. Our behavioral data for 191 HIV-1–infected rural Cameroonians show frequent exposure to nonhuman primates through activities such as hunting and butchering. We present behavioral data pertaining to animal exposures of HIV-1–infected persons in 17 rural villages in Cameroon [5] These are key sites for the emergence of nonhuman primate retroviruses because of the high levels of human contact with wild nonhuman primates [5] and cross-species transmission of simian foamy virus [10] and primate T-lymphotropic viruses [11]. 1.7% of the rural population in this area reports such injuries [5]

These data demonstrate an overlap of areas where

Findings

Injuries on leg during butchering