High Seroprevalence of Enterovirus Infections in Apes and Old World Monkeys

Heli Harvala

, Chloe L. McIntyre, Natsuko Imai, Lucy Clasper, Cyrille F. Djoko, Matthew LeBreton, Marion Vermeulen, Andrew Saville, Francisca Mutapi, Ubald Tamoufé, John Kiyang, Tafon G. Biblia, Nicholas Midzi, Takafira Mduluza, Jacques Pépin, Richard Njoum, Teemu Smura, Joseph N. Fair, Nathan D. Wolfe, Merja Roivainen, and Peter Simmonds

Author affiliations: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland (H. Harvala); University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh (H. Harvala, C.L. McIntyre, N. Imai, L. Clasper, F. Mutapi, P. Simmonds); Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, Yaoundé, Cameroon (C.F. Djoko, M. LeBreton, U. Tamoufé, J.N. Fair, N.D. Wolfe); Global Forcasting Initiatve, San Francisco, California, USA (C.F. Djoko, M. LeBreton, N.D. Wolfe); South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa (M. Vermeulen, A. Saville); Limbe Wildlife Centre, Limbe, Cameroon (J. Kiyang); Ape Action Africa, Yaoundé, (T.G. Biblia); National Institute of Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe (N. Midzi); University of Zimbabwe, Harare (T. Mduluza); Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada (J. Pepin); Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé (R. Njoum); National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland (T. Smura, M. Roivainen)

Abstract

To estimate population exposure of apes and Old World monkeys in Africa to enteroviruses (EVs), we conducted a seroepidemiologic study of serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies against 3 EV types. Detection of species A, B, and D EVs infecting wild chimpanzees demonstrates their potential widespread circulation in primates.

Enteroviruses (EVs) form a diverse genus in the virus family Picornaviridae. EVs that infect humans are divided genetically into 4 species (EV A–D), and each contains numerous antigenically distinct serotypes (1). Although EVs were originally classified by serologic analysis and pathogenic properties in laboratory animals, sequences from the viral capsid region provide an alternative method for classification (2). More recently, classified variants have been assigned as chronologically numbered EV types (currently to EV-C116).

EVs also naturally infect other mammalian species, although most are in separate species from those that infect humans. However, EVs isolated from Old World monkeys (OWMs) (principally Asian macaques) are grouped into species A and B; a separate simian species (SEV-A); or are unassigned (EV-108, SV6, and EV-103) (3).

Although EV isolates from OWMs have been extensively characterized, little attention has been paid to EVs that circulate in apes. We recently detected EV-A76 (species A) and a new EV type in species B and D (EV-B110 and EV-D111) that infect a wild population of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Cameroon (3). Detection frequencies of 15% in fecal samples suggest that EV infections are relatively common in this species. We estimated population exposure of apes in Africa and OWM species to EVs.