# Presentation: 750886

## Simian Foamy Virus Infection Among Individuals 

**Health Canada**
**2001 Study**
**James Brooks CIHR/CBS Post Doctoral Research Fellow**
**Erling Rud Head, Clinical Research, Animal Resources Division, HPFB**
**Paul Sandstrom Associate Director Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD & TB, CIDPC**

**Simian Foamy Virus Infection Among Individuals **
**Occupationally Exposed to Non Human Primates**

## Outline

- Rationale for the Health Canada SFV Study
- Trends in primate importation/utilization
- Description of Health Canada Animal Resources Division primate colony
- Results of Health Canada Study of Human SFV Infection Among Animal Workers

## Background

- Macaque spp. have historically been among the most common NHP’s used in research
- Currently cynomolgus macaques (*Macaca fascicularis*) represent the vast majority of imported NHP’s
- Despite frequent occupational exposure there had not been a documented case of human SFV infection originating from macaques

## Last 2 years importation of NHP in U.S.A.(1999, N = 12,744; 2000, N = 12,061)

*Source:*  Tom Damercus,
- Division of Quarantine, National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

- # of non-human primates

- N = 12,744

- N = 12,061

## Species of NHP used in Canada (1995 - 1999)

- N = 1373

- N = 2150

- N = 1,621

- N = 875

- N = 1,131

## Study Objective

- 	To screen for human SFV infection of macaque origin using assays optimized for macaque SFV

## Health Canada Primate Colony

- 875 Cynomolgus macaques imported from the Philippines 1983-1984
- Currently houses approximately 240 monkeys
- Previously housed up to 1200 monkeys
- Prior to 1983 a mixture of cynomolgus and rhesus macaques
- Herpes B free colony
- 80% seropositive for SFV

## Average Monthly NHP Colony Population by Year

- Number of animals

## Study Design

- Anonymous, un-linked convenience sample of workers having contact with non-human primates or their blood and tissues
- Screened using immunoblot
- Target antigen SFV1, SFV3, SFV6 & SFV-HC infected cell culture lysates
- Confirmation using PCR amplification from PBLs of a 153 bp fragment located within the pol gene

## Occupations of Study Participants

## Characteristics of Study Participants

- Average age  45 years
- M:F Ratio 56:44
- Average of 13 years of exposure to Cynomolgus macaques
- Average of 10 years of exposure to Rhesus macaques

## Person Years of Exposure to NHP Species

## Exposure Patterns

## Total Number of Bites Reported By Species

## Results of SFV Study

- 2 out of the 46 participants have positive serological tests for foamy virus infection (4% of study participants)
- 1 of the 46 participants has been confirmed as infected with SFV by PCR from PBLs
- Preliminary evidence suggests that this human SFV infection is of macaque origin

## Representative Screening Immunoblot

- Cf2Th/BHK21 Uninfected Host Cell Lysates

- Chimp

- AGM

- Cyno

- Baboon

- Human 1

- Human 2

- 112

- 81

- 50

- 36

- MW kDa

- 112

- 81

- 50

- 36

## Exposure Histories of SFV Infected Humans

- Both individuals report :
- prolonged and ongoing exposure to cynomolgus macaques
- previous exposure to rhesus macaques
- events involving exposure to blood and/or body fluids, including bites, scratches or surgical injuries, from macaque species

## SFV Genome Structure

**env**

**pol**

**gag**

**LTR**

**LTR**

**Accessory Genes**

***taf***

- Location of 153 bp PCR Fragment in pol gene

## Neighbor-Joining Phylogenetic Analysis

- 0.05

-  c1f

-  c3f      **Human 1**

-  c10f

-  SFV 1 (macaque)

-  Hamlyn’s guenon

-  African Green Monkey

-  SFV 3

-  Drill

-  Mandrill

-  Patas Monkey

-  Papio urinus

-  Baboon

-  Papio anubis

-  Papio cynocephalus

-  Gorilla

- Chimpanzee

-  HFV

- 99

- 93

- 92

- 98

- 80

- 64

- 57

- 26

- 29

- 90

- 46

- 36

- 49

- Courtesy of William Switzer, CDC

## Pattern of Blood Donation

- 3% of eligible Canadians donate blood on a regular basis (Canadian Blood Services)
- 54% (25/46)of study participants reported at least one donation of blood or blood products ever.
- 88% (22/25) of Animal workers that reported blood donation also reported bites by NHP’s

## Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Canadian Blood Services
Health Canada, CIDPC, PPHB
		Dr. Paul Gully
		Dr. Donald Sutherland
		Rick Pilon
		Chris Scherf
Health Canada, HPFB
		Dr. Jocelyn Fournier
University of Ottawa
		Dr Francisco Diaz-Mitoma
Esoterix Inc.
		Dr. Richard Heberling

- Canadian Blood Services
- Health Canada, CIDPC, PPHB
- 		Dr. Paul Gully
- 		Dr. Donald Sutherland
- 		Rick Pilon
- 		Chris Scherf
- Health Canada, HPFB
- 		Dr. Jocelyn Fournier
- University of Ottawa
- 		Dr Francisco Diaz-Mitoma
- Esoterix Inc.
- 		Dr. Richard Heberling

- Acknowledgements