The prevalence of antibodies to simian T-cell leukaemia lymphotropic virus(STLV-I) in non-human primate colonies in Kenya

Retroviruses closely related to the human T-cell leukaemia/lymphotrophic vi rus type I (HTLV-I) have been detected in several, non-human, primate speci es. These retroviruses are called simian T-lymphotrophic virus type I (STLV -I). Infection with STLV-I has been associated with lymphoma and leukaemia in macaques, baboons, African green monkeys and gorillas. However, no STLV- I infection has been detected in New World primates, although STLV-II has b een detected in spider monkeys. When sera from 10 species of non-human primates maintained at the Institute of Primate Research were screened for STLV-I infection, anti-STLV-I antibo dies were detected in 12%, 12%, 23% and 38% of the olive baboons, yellow ba boons, African green monkeys and lowland Sykes' monkeys, respectively. West ern-blot studies confirmed these results. To date, no clinical disease has been linked with STLV-I infection in these colonies. The relatively high pr evalence of anti-STLV-I antibodies in these non-human primates offers an op portunity for studies on the transmission, phylogenetic relationships and n atural history of STLV-I in primate colonies.