PTLV-1 transmission from preys to hunters in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Results and discussion About 50% red colobus monkeys, 70% chimpanzees and 1% humans were PTLV-1 positive in serology and PCR. Strains detected in red colobus monkeys belonged to two main subtypes which were also found to infect sympatric chimpanzees and humans. The latter primate species could therefore have acquired those subtypes through contact to blood and organs of red colobus monkeys, which they frequently hunt and “butcher”. In addition, strains belonging to the classic, human specific Cosmopolitan subtype were detected in humans while strains belonging to the PTLV-1b subtype already found in chimpanzees from various locations and therefore possibly widespread in the species were detected in chimpanzees. All in all, these results point towards the possibility of co-infection of primates with both species specific (potentially adapted) PTLV-1 subtypes and other PTLV-1 subtypes acquired from sympatric primate species through hunter–prey relationships.