Abstract
Simian foamy viruses (SFV) are widespread retroviruses among non-human primates (NHP). SFV actively replicate in the oral cavity and can be transmitted to humans through NHP bites, giving rise to a persistent infection. We aimed at studying the natural history of SFV infection in human. We have analyzed viral load and gene expression in 14 hunters from Cameroon previously shown to be infected with a gorilla SFV strain. Viral DNA could be detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) targeting the pol-in region, in most samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (7.1 ± 6.0 SFV DNA copies/105 PBMCs) and saliva (2.4 ± 4.3 SFV DNA copies/105 cells) derived from the hunters. However, quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT)-qPCR revealed the absence of SFV viral gene expression in both PBMCs and saliva, suggesting that SFV was latent in the human samples. Our study demonstrates that a latent infection can occur in humans and persist for years, both in PBMCs and saliva. Such a scenario may contribute to the putative lack of secondary human-to-human transmissions of SFV.
Highlights
Emerging human infections caused by viruses originating in wildlife have increased significantly recently [1] mainly due to more frequent contacts between wild animals and humans for demographical and socio-economical reasons
We show that low levels of Simian foamy viruses (SFV) DNA can be found in samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and saliva derived from SFV-infected hunters
As SFV infection is latent in macaques PBMCs but productive in their oral cavity [5,7], we asked whether this was the case for SFV-infected humans
Summary
Emerging human infections caused by viruses originating in wildlife have increased significantly recently [1] mainly due to more frequent contacts between wild animals and humans for demographical and socio-economical reasons. Viral emergence is a multi-step process involving virus transmission to humans and subsequent human-to-human spread. This latter step depends on the natural history of the virus (including viral load, replication and tropism) within the human host. SFV are exogenous complex retroviruses of the Spumaretrovirinae subfamily. They are ubiquitous in various species including non-human primates, felines, bovines and equines [2]. They induce a life-long, persistent infection without apparent pathogenicity [3]
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