Rhesus leukocyte-associated herpesvirus. II. Natural and experimental infection.

Abstract

Leukocyte-associated herpesvirus (LARV) commonly infects Indian rhesus monkeys both in the jungle and in laboratory colonies. Experimentally inoculated and naturally infected rhesus monkeys have been shown to harbor LAHV for long periods without signs of illness. Virus was most readily isolated from lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood leukocytes, but was also occasionally present in oropharyngeal swabs. Complement-fixing but not neutralizing antibodies were shown in several other species of Old World monkeys, which suggests that infection with related viruses may occur in other primates. The long-term persistence of LARV in rhesus monkey leukocytes provides a useful model for evaluation of the relationships between herpesviruses and their hosts.