Novel Mastadenovirus Infection as Cause of Pneumonia in Imported Black-and-White Colobuses (Colobus guereza), Thailand

Abstract

We identified a novel mastadenovirus, herein referred to as colobus adenovirus (CoAdV), as the likely cause of fatal respiratory and enteric diseases in multiple black-and-white colobuses ( Colobus guereza ) imported into Thailand in 2022. Among 9 affected colobuses, 4 died. Viral antigen was abundant in respiratory and enteric tissues, where prominent lesions and clinical signs were observed. We successfully cultivated CoAdV in Vero cells and characterized the complete viral genome, which indicated the virus is genetically distinct from other simian adenoviruses. We also conducted a retrospective study of archival samples from 7 other unrelated colobuses that had respiratory distress or diarrhea and found similar viral strains in 4 of those colobuses. Although we could not determine the potential harm to humans or other nonhuman primates from current information, the zoonotic and spillover potential of this virus to other related hosts should not be neglected. Veterinarians should consider CoAdV when pneumonia is diagnosed in colobuses.