BBC Primate virus spreads to humans

[Guest guest]

>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Friday, 19 March, 2004, 9:00 GMT 01:00 -08:00:US/Pacific

>

>

> * Primate virus spreads to humans *

>Experts warn that eating primate " bushmeat "

>exposes humans to a new form of virus carried by

>apes and monkeys.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/3520968.stm

>

Hunting for - and eating - primate 'bushmeat' is

exposing humans to a form of virus carried by

apes and monkeys, experts say.

 

The effect on humans of simian foamy virus (SFV)

is not yet known - but it is thought that HIV

originally passed to humans in the same fashion.

 

Johns Hopkins University experts say the only way

to stop the virus's spread in humans is to

restrict hunting.

 

The research is published in The Lancet medical journal.

 

The hunting and butchering of wild primates -

including monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees -

infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)

is thought to have sparked the HIV pandemic two

decades ago.

 

But it seems that SIV, SFV and related

retroviruses cannot jump the species barrier

unless humans come into direct contact with

infected blood tissue or fluids.

 

The latest research focused on 1,800 people from

nine rural communities in Cameroon, of whom

around 1,100 reported they had been exposed to

blood or body fluids of primates from hunting.

 

Of these, ten people were found to have developed antibodies to SFV.

 

Further genetic analysis revealed that the

infections had come from different animals.

 

Potential problems

 

Lead researcher Dr Nathan Wolfe said: " Our

findings show that retroviruses are actively

crossing into human populations, and demonstrate

that people in central Africa are currently

infected with SFV. "

 

He said that it was possible that a human form of

SFV might emerge, in the same way that scientists

believe SIV morphed into HIV.

 

" Contact with non-human primates, such as happens

during hunting and butchering, can play a part in

the emergence of human retroviruses - and the

reduction of primate bushmeat hunting has the

potential to decrease the frequency of disease

emergence " .

 

In an accompanying commentary, Dr Martine

Peeters, from the Institut de Recherche pour le

Dévelopement, Montpellier, France, warns that

cross-species " zoonotic " diseases are " among the

most important public health threats facing

humanity " .

 

She said foamy viruses have not been linked with

any disease in humans, and there is no evidence

that they can be passed between individuals.

 

However, she said very little is known about what

possible effect SVF may have on humans, as few

have documented instances of human infection.

 

And she warned that the possibility that

particular strains of the virus may cause disease

- possibly after a long incubation period -

cannot be ruled out.

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3520968.stm

 

Published: 2004/03/19 01:48:26 GMT

 

© BBC MMIV

 

--