Human Polyomavirus Related to African Green Monkey Lymphotropic Polyomavirus

DOI: 10.3201/eid1708.110278
Suggested citation for this article: Sauvage V, Foulongne V, Cheval J, Ar Gouilh M, Pariente K, Dereure O, et al. Human polyomavirus related to African green monkey lymphotropic polyomavirus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Aug; [Epub ahead of print]

Human Polyomavirus Related to African Green Monkey Lymphotropic Polyomavirus
Virginie Sauvage, Vincent Foulongne, Justine Cheval, Meriadeg Ar Gouilh, Kevin Pariente, Olivier Dereure, Jean Claude Manuguerra, Jennifer Richardson, Marc Lecuit, Ana Burguière, Valérie Caro, and Marc Eloit


Author affiliations: Institut Pasteur, Paris, France (V. Sauvage, M. Ar Gouilh, K. Pariente, J.C. Manuguerra, M. Lecuit, A. Burguière, V. Caro, M. Eloit); Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Montpellier, France (V. Foulongne, O. Dereure); University of Montpellier, Montpellier (V. Foulongne, O. Dereure); Pathoquest, Paris (J. Cheval, M. Eloit); and Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Maisons Alfort, France (J. Richardson, M. Eloit)

While studying the virome of the skin surface of a patient with a Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) by using unbiased, high-throughput sequencing, we identified a human polyomavirus nearly identical to human polyomavirus 9, a virus recently reported in blood and urine of renal transplantion patients and closely related to the African green monkey lymphotropic polyomavirus. Specific PCR analysis further identified this virus in 2/8 patients with MCC, but only in 1/111 controls without MCC. This virus was shed for >20 months by the MCC index patient and was on the skin of the spouse of the index patient. These results provide information on the viral ecology of human skin and raise new questions regarding the pathology of virus-associated skin disorders.

Polyomaviridae is a family of nonenveloped viruses with a circular double-stranded DNA genome. Natural hosts for Polyomaviridae are primates, including humans and monkeys, cattle, rabbits, rodents, and birds (1). Currently, viruses in this family that infect humans are the opportunistic JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in immunocompromised person; BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) associated with interstitial nephritis and hemorrhagic cystitis; KI polyomavirus (KIPyV) identified in respiratory secretions of patients with respiratory symptoms at the Karolinska Institute...

full-text:
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