Abstract
In August 2015, a nonhuman primate facility south of Manila, the Philippines, noted unusual deaths of 6 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), characterized by generalized rashes, inappetence, or sudden death. We identified Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) infection in monkeys by using serologic and molecular assays. We isolated viruses in tissues from infected monkeys and determined viral genome sequences. RESTV found in the 2015 outbreak is genetically closer to 1 of the 4 RESTVs that caused the 2008 outbreak among swine. Eight macaques, including 2 also infected with RESTV, tested positive for measles. Concurrently, the measles virus was circulating throughout the Philippines, indicating that the infection of the macaques may be a reverse zoonosis. Improved biosecurity measures will minimize the public health risk, as well as limit the introduction of disease and vectors.
Highlights
In August 2015, a nonhuman primate facility south of Manila, the Philippines, noted unusual deaths of 6 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), characterized by generalized rashes, inappetence, or sudden death
Serologic Analysis The Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) ELISA showed that 10 of 174 samples (5.74%) from macaques were reactive for RESTV IgG antibodies (Table 1), all of which had an immunofluorescent assay (IFA) titer >640 (Figure 2)
In spite of the long hiatus, RESTV was found in a controlled environment in which monkeys are systematically housed to avoid spread of diseases and to which no wild monkeys have been introduced
Summary
In August 2015, a nonhuman primate facility south of Manila, the Philippines, noted unusual deaths of 6 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), characterized by generalized rashes, inappetence, or sudden death. Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) was discovered after an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease in cynomolgus macaques in a primate research facility in Reston, Virginia, USA in 1989 that had imported macaques from the Philippines [1]. The disease was discovered as a co-infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), prevalent at that time [5]. After this outbreak, Jayme et al undertook a search for a possible reservoir in bats by using low levels of viral RNA detected in the microbat Miniopterus schreibersii [6]. During the first 6 months of 2015, there were 2,231 reported cases, of which 534 were laboratory-confirmed [7]
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