High prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus among captive nonhuman primates

Abstract

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can infect not only humans but also several other nonhuman primates. This study has been conducted to evaluate the comprehensive anti-HAV seroprevalence in captive nonhuman primate populations in Thailand. The prevalence of antibodies against HAV in 96 captive nonhuman primates of 11 species was evaluated by competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA). HAV antibodies were found in 64.7% (11/17) of macaques, 85.7% (6/7) of langurs, 28.4% (10/35) of gibbons, and 94.6% (35/37) of orangutans. However, anti-HAV IgM was not found in any sera. These results indicate that the majority of captive nonhuman primates in Thailand were exposed to HAV. It is possible that some of the animals were infected prior to capture.

SEROLOGICAL DETECTION OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS IN FREE-RANGING NEOTROPICAL PRIMATES (Sapajus spp., Alouatta caraya) FROM THE PARANÁ RIVER BASIN, BRAZIL

“…Alternatively, elevated serum positivity was observed in a study performed in Thailand that evaluated the presence of HAV in 11 species of captive NHPs, where seroreactivity to HAV was demonstrated in 64.7% (11/17) of Macaques, 85.7% (6/7) in Langurs, and 94.6% (35/37) of Gibbons 15 . Consequently, seropositivity to HAV in captive NHPs seems to vary in different geographical locations.…”

“…NHPs are considered natural reservoirs of HAV 1 , 3 and zoonotic diseases such as toxoplasmosis 11 and yellow fever 12 , and can serve as natural sentinels for investigation of epizootics and endemic diseases of public health importance. Old World Primates are known to be very susceptible to HAV infection, with descriptions in species such as the Macaca fascicularis , Cercopithecus aethiops 13 , M. mulatta 14 , Nomascus leucogenys , Hylobates lar , and H. pileatus 15 , however, reports of HAV in free-ranging Neotropical primates (NTPs) are sparse, with only one description in a collection of captive NTPs from northern Brazil 16 and in several Owl monkeys ( Aotus trivirgatus ) from the USA 17 , 18 . There is also an experimental confirmation of HAV-induced hepatitis in the Callithrix jacchus 19 .…”

Discovery of a Novel Hepatovirus ( Phopivirus of Seals) Related to Human Hepatitis A Virus

“…The limited HAV diversity in NHPs might argue against coevolution ( 20 ), as would the detection of identical HAV sequences in different NHP species from entirely different continents (HAV strain AGM-27 from an African green monkey in Kenya and Indian simian HAV strain IND-SHAV from a rhesus macaque in India [ 21 , 22 ]) or the sharing of HAV strains (genotype III) between NHPs and several human populations around the world ( 19 , 23 – 27 ). We also note that the known diversity of HAV in NHPs is almost exclusively limited to species or individuals that have substantial contact with humans in natural settings (e.g., macaques) or captive colonies ( 21 – 24 , 27 – 30 ). Therefore, while we do not reject the possibility that HAV originated in NHPs, we suggest that additional information on the global diversity and distribution of HAVs in NHPs is needed to better clarify their role in its evolutionary history and current epidemiology—particularly those in species with little or no contact with humans.…”

Viral Diseases of Common Marmosets

“…Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a major cause of acute viral hepatitis in humans and several nonhuman primate species. Common marmosets can also be infected as indicated by serologic surveys [76,77]. The virus is a small RNA virus and belongs to the genus Hepatovirus within the family Picornaviridae.…”