Announcement

**alert** · July 11, 2010, 08:23 PM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:4106632016462530::::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_ARCHIVE_NUMBER,F2400_P1001_USE_ARCHIVE:1001,20100710.2315,Y

Archive Number 20100710.2315
Published Date 10-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (02): RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN (02): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ***********************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sat 10 Jul 2010
From: Reiko Matsuda Goodwin [edited]
<reikogoodwin@gmail.com>

Japanese macaques: Many died of a hemorrhagic disease - mysterious
infectious disease
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I came across with the below news in Yahoo Japan news early this morning
<http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100709-00000057-jij-soci>, but I
have not been able to find any English translation. So here is my
translation:

Japanese macaques: Many died of a hemorrhagic disease - mysterious
infectious disease - Aichi, Kyoto Primate Research Institute

On 9 Jul 2010 it was revealed that many Japanese macaques at the
Kyoto Primate Research Institute (Inuyama City, Aichi) have died of a
hemorrhagic disease of an unknown causal agent. During the period
March 2008-April 2010, 38 macaques died and between July 2001 and
July 2002, 6 died [of the disease]. It has not been confirmed if the
infection spread to other primates or to humans.

The vice director Hirohisa Hirai stated "We believe that it is a
mysterious disease, but it is different from Ebola hemorrhagic
disease that also infects humans. It is highly probable that the
infectious disease is unique to the Japanese macaques."

According to the Institute, the symptoms of the macaques that died of
the infection included hemorrhages from the organs and the nasal
mucosa and dark-brown mud-like stool. In most cases the number of
blood platelets was reduced to almost zero; the numbers of red blood
cells and white blood cells were significantly reduced; and the
monkeys were severely anemic. The cause is under investigation.

The infection was limited to 3 areas that include indoor cages within
the Primate Research Institute and outside enclosures. It is
suspected that an unknown disease agent that uniquely infects the
Japanese macaques is the causal factor of the infectious disease.
Although most infected macaques have died, some have survived and are
still living.

The Primate Research Institute is currently analyzing the blood of
the animals and investigating the cause(s) of the infection by
collaborating with other organizations to prevent further spread of
the disease.

--
Communicated by:
Reiko Matsuda Goodwin, PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology
441 East Fordham Road
Fordham University
Bronx, NY 10458
<reikogoodwin@gmail.com>

[The above information has been subject to yesterday's (9 Jul 2010)
ProMED-mail posting (archived 20100709.2307), similarly translated --
but abridged -- from a Japanese media source. Since Prof Goodwin's
translation added some details of interest, this version seems to
deserve posting as well.

Further results of the investigation are expected with great
interest. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan: RFI 20100709.2307]
....................arn/ejp/lm

**alert** · July 11, 2010, 08:23 PM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:4106632016462530::::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_ARCHIVE_NUMBER,F2400_P1001_USE_ARCHIVE:1001,20100709.2307,Y

Archive Number 20100709.2307
Published Date 09-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan: RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ******************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Fri 9 Jul 2010
Source: Chunichi Shimbun {Transl from Japanese, abridged and edited]
<http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/national/news/CK2010070902000041.html>

Monkeys die from a mysterious cause in the Inuyama primate research institute
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A total of 44 Japanese monkeys "Snow Monkey" (_Macaca fuscata_) died
of a mysterious disease between 2001 and 2010 in the Primate Research
Institute of the Kyoto University, Inuyama city, Aichi Prefecture,
Japan. [We are told the university includes several
branches/campuses].

Tetsurou Matsuzawa, director of the Institute and professor at the
Kyoto University, said the cause of the cases would be an unknown
pathogen. Infection happened in only 3 places, and wouldn't spread to
man and other animals.

Phase 1: July 2001 to July 2002, 7 monkeys showed symptoms, of which 6 died.

Phase 2: March 2008 to April 2010, 39 monkeys showed symptoms, of
which 38 died.

Symptoms:
1 bleeding in internal organs
2 bleeding mucous membrane of nose
3 subcutaneous ecchymosis
4 dark brown muddy feces
5 especially almost no platelet in blood of most death cases

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Results of laboratory investigations are anticipated; suggestions
for possible aetiologies will be welcomed. - Mod.AS]

**alert** · July 13, 2010, 12:27 PM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:396216068973048::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,83642

Archive Number 20100713.2345
Published Date 13-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (04): RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN (04): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ***********************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

[1]
Date: Sun 11 Jul 2010
Source: CDC-KUPRI, Committee of Disease Control-Kyoto University,
Primate Research Institute [in Japanese, trans. & summ., edited]
<http://www.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pub/press/20100712/index-j.html>

Hemorrhagic syndrome of Japanese macaques
-----------------------------------------
Overview:
We have 790 Japanese monkeys among 1216 monkeys of 13 species, as of
11 Jun 2010. During the phase, 2001-02, we had 6 deaths out of 7 sick
animals. During the 2nd phase, we had 38 deaths out of 39 sick animals.

Two points should be underlined:
1. Humans don't have this disease.
2. We assume this is a disease not yet known. [A new disease entity? - Mod. AS]

We did thorough sanitation using Vilcon hypochlorous acid/Bayer) and
controlled infected animals individually.

Frequently Asked Questions
------------------------
Q1: Are humans infected?
A1: No similar case has been seen in humans during the last 10 years;
therefore, human infection probably not to be expected.
Q2: What other disease demonstrates similar symptoms in monkeys?
A2: None.
Q3: Any sex or age-related susceptibility recorded?
A3: No significant differences in any such analyses.
Q4: What is the cause?
A4: Not known yet, though an infective agent is highly suspected,
specific to macaques. We believe there is a very high chance of infection.
Q5: Has the disease been seen in wild monkeys?
A5: No reported cases. However, the current publication of the cases
may help in obtaining more information.
Q6: Is there another example in Japan and overseas?
A6: As far as investigated, other cases have not been similar.
Following the current publication, we are awaiting a response from
the scientific community.
Q7: Are there comparable diseases in humans?
A7: The symptom "aplastic anemia" in humans is comparable.
Q8: What happens when the monkeys develop the symptoms?
A8: Decreased appetite, recumbency, pale faces. Bleeding from the
nasal mucosa, blood is attached to the lip, subcutaneous bleeding.
The main symptom is dark brown and mushy stool. High mortality. In
blood counts, low counts of platelets, erythrocytes, and leucocytes.
At the end platelet count reaches zero, and this is the most
pronounced finding.
Q9: What is the duration from onset to death?
A9: Rapid; Ichigaini says -- 1 to 2 weeks.
Q10: Which disease agents have been screened for?
A10: 6 bacterial agents and 16 viruses which may cause bone marrow
suppression, all found negative. Investigations are still in progress.
Q11: What measures to control the cases have been applied?
A11: Disinfectants such as hypochlorous acid disinfectant solution
and other applicable biosecurity and biosafety measures.
Q12: What other measures are considered for future application?
A12: This depends on further findings, and on consultations with
other institutes addressing hemorrhagic diseases. This will include
the establishment of screening tests.
Q13: Why has the announcement on the syndrome been made at this time?
A13: The intention was to make the issue known without causing
unnecessary public anxiety while still not recognising the cause of
the syndrome. The article reviewed the past 10 years, we will work
tirelessly to discover a cause, and publish accurate and factual data
as they become available.
Q14: Are the Monkey Centre and Primate Research Institute the same
organization?
A14: The Japan Monkey Centre is an independent private property and
the Primate Research Institute is part of Kyoto University. They are
different institutions.
Q15: : Are the monkeys in the "Japan Monkey Centre" dangerous or not?
A15: There have not been cases in the "Japan Monkey Centre" and there
is no exchange of animals between the 2 establishments.
Q16: Who should be contacted if a similar syndrome is discovered or
suspected elsewhere?
A16: The "Primate Research Institute for Disease Control Committee"
should be contacted at <cdc@pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp>.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

******
[2]
Date: Mon 12 Jul 2010
From: Reed Johnson <johnsonreed@niaid.nih.gov> [edited]

[Re: ProMED-mail Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan: RFI
20100709.2307]
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In reference to the story above.

We may be able to help and would like to get in touch with the institute.

My name is Reed Johnson I work for the [US] National Institutes of
Health, NIAID. We are currently studying simian hemorrhagic fever
virus and other hemorrhagic fever viruses. We may be able to provide
diagnostic and other support.

--
Reed F Johnson PhD
Research Fellow
NIH/NIAID/DIR/EVPS
USA
301-443-5700
301-631-7255
<johnsonreed@mail.nih.gov>

[The following paper has been published (in Japanese only) in the 1st
2010 issue of the journal 'Primate Research', Primate Society of
Japan' available at <http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/psj/26/1/_contents/>:

Committee for Disease Control, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto
University. Information on Hemorrhagic Syndrome of Japanese Macaques
(Provisional Designation). Primate Research, 2010. 26(1): 69-71.
Release date: 1 Jul 2010 (received: 11 May 2010; accepted: 21 May
2010). - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (03): RFI 20100711.2322
Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (02): RFI 20100710.2315
Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan: RFI 20100709.2307]
...................................arn/mj/dk

**alert** · July 14, 2010, 02:46 PM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed hemorrhagic deaths, macaque monkeys

I am changing the title of this post as it appears that Ebola of all varieties is now excluded. The statement about one case a month makes me wonder whether this is non-infectious, or at least non-contagious; the known hemorrhagic fevers have incubation periods much shorter than one month.

Hat-tip ironorehopper.

303 See Other

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100713/full/466302a.html

Published online 13 July 2010 | Nature 466, 302-303 (2010) | doi:10.1038/466302a

News

Japanese monkey deaths puzzle
Researchers claim outbreaks of unknown haemorrhagic illness are no threat to humans.

David Cyranoski

Japanese macaques are succumbing to a mystery disease.
Photolibrary.comScientists from Japan's premier primate research centre are struggling to reassure the public that a mysterious illness killing their monkeys poses no threat to humans. Almost a decade after it first appeared, scientists from Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute (PRI) described the disease and their unsuccessful search for a cause in an online publication on 1 July and in a press release on 7 July. But their account leaves other researchers hungry for details.

In the first outbreak to hit the PRI in Inuyama, near Nagoya, between July 2001 and July 2002, seven Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) fell ill and six of them died from what the institute scientists provisionally call a 'haemorrhagic syndrome'. Symptoms included anorexia, lethargy, pallor and nasal haemorrhaging. Autopsies revealed bleeding in the lungs and intestines. Genetic, bacterial and toxicological tests failed to pinpoint a cause, and after the outbreak ran its course, operations at the institute returned to normal. But between March 2008 and April 2010, another 39 cases appeared in the same species. Of those, 25 died of the disease and 13 were humanely killed. Only one monkey survived each outbreak.

On 1 July, an institute committee set up after the second outbreak published its findings in the online version of the Japanese-language journal Primate Research (Kyoto University Primate Research Institute Disease Control Committee Primate Res. 26, 69–71; 2010). The committee tested blood, faeces and tissues from the diseased monkeys for 6 bacteria and 16 viruses. The tests, which included PCR analysis, turned up nothing that could explain the deaths. François Villinger, director of pathology at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says that Japanese laboratories tend to have excellent diagnostic capabilities: "Therefore I have confidence in the fact that the illness is probably not due to any of the known agents inducing haemorrhagic fevers."

PRI director Tetsuro Matsuzawa spoke out against suggestions in the local media that the disease could spread to humans or other animals. At the 7 July press conference, he stressed that none of the other primate species at the institute, which houses more than 1,200 animals from 13 species, including chimpanzees, marmosets and crab-eating macaques, has contracted the syndrome. The humans who handled the monkeys also show no symptoms. "I don't like the headlines in the news media," he says. "We think that the haemorrhagic syndrome is due to a species-specific pathogen of the Japanese monkeys."

Matsuzawa says that the institute did not publish its findings earlier because it feared causing panic in the wider population. Cases are still occurring, but following the use of disinfectants and the isolation of sick monkeys, the pace has slowed to one case in May and one in June. Matsuzawa is holding back some data for a more detailed future publication and would not answer Nature 's questions about whether his group is also probing possible environmental causes, which bacteria and viruses have been tested for, and what analysis of the two surviving monkeys has revealed.

ADVERTISEMENT

By screening the 790 remaining Japanese macaques for other viruses and bacteria and running genetic tests, Matsuzawa hopes to pin down the cause of the syndrome and to create a test for early diagnosis. He says that he is looking for collaborators, and animal-pathogen researchers contacted by Nature are certainly eager to learn more about the illness. Primate disease specialist Sonia Altizer of the University of Georgia in Athens wonders whether any of the animals were recently captured in the wild, where they could have picked up the infection, and whether animals were housed singly or in groups. "Knowing the possible contacts between animals and the chronological pattern of illness or deaths might also help determine whether this was indeed an infectious agent, and the possible routes of transmission," she says.

She also asks what measures the human workers were taking before the outbreaks to minimize transmission of infectious agents between monkeys and humans. "Presumably there would be some pretty careful measures in place that would limit human exposure to any contaminant or pathogen," she says, "so saying that humans are not susceptible to me seems premature."

**alert** · July 17, 2010, 09:49 AM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:2886814501227957::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,83695

Archive Number 20100717.2387
Published Date 17-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (05): RFI

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN (05): REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
************************************************** ***********************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

******
[1]
Date: Tue 13 Jul 2010
Source: Nature 466, 302-303 (2010) [edited]
<http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100713/full/466302a.html>

Japanese monkey deaths puzzle
------------------------------
Scientists from Japan's premier primate research centre are
struggling to reassure the public that a mysterious illness killing
their monkeys poses no threat to humans. Almost a decade after it 1st
appeared, scientists from Kyoto University's Primate Research
Institute (PRI) [also abbreviated KUPRI] described the disease and
their unsuccessful search for a cause in an online publication on 1
Jul 2010 and in a press release on 7 Jul 2010. But their account
leaves other researchers hungry for details.

In the 1st outbreak to hit the PRI in Inuyama, near Nagoya, between
July 2001 and July 2002, 7 Japanese macaques (_Macaca fuscata_) fell
ill and 6 of them died from what the institute scientists
provisionally call a 'haemorrhagic syndrome.' Symptoms included
anorexia, lethargy, pallor and nasal haemorrhaging. Autopsies
revealed bleeding in the lungs and intestines. Genetic, bacterial and
toxicological tests failed to pinpoint a cause, and after the
outbreak ran its course, operations at the institute returned to
normal. But between March 2008 and April 2010, another 39 cases
appeared in the same species. Of those, 25 died of the disease and 13
were humanely killed. Only one monkey survived each outbreak.

On 1 Jul 2010, an institute committee set up after the 2nd outbreak
published its findings in the online version of the Japanese-language
journal Primate Research (Kyoto University Primate Research Institute
Disease Control Committee Primate Res. 26, 69-71; 2010). The
committee tested blood, faeces and tissues from the diseased monkeys
for 6 bacteria and 16 viruses. The tests, which included PCR
analysis, turned up nothing that could explain the deaths. Francois
Villinger, director of pathology at the Yerkes National Primate
Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says that Japanese laboratories
tend to have excellent diagnostic capabilities: "Therefore I have
confidence in the fact that the illness is probably not due to any of
the known agents inducing haemorrhagic fevers."

PRI director Tetsuro Matsuzawa spoke out against suggestions in the
local media that the disease could spread to humans or other animals.
At the 7 Jul 2010 press conference, he stressed that none of the
other primate species at the institute, which houses more than 1200
animals from 13 species, including chimpanzees, marmosets and
crab-eating macaques, has contracted the syndrome. The humans who
handled the monkeys also show no symptoms. "I don't like the
headlines in the news media," he says. "We think that the
haemorrhagic syndrome is due to a species-specific pathogen of the
Japanese monkeys."

Matsuzawa says that the institute did not publish its findings
earlier because it feared causing panic in the wider population.
Cases are still occurring, but following the use of disinfectants and
the isolation of sick monkeys, the pace has slowed to one case in May
and one in June. Matsuzawa is holding back some data for a more
detailed future publication and would not answer Nature's questions
about whether his group is also probing possible environmental
causes, which bacteria and viruses have been tested for, and what
analysis of the 2 surviving monkeys has revealed.

By screening the 790 remaining Japanese macaques for other viruses
and bacteria and running genetic tests, Matsuzawa hopes to pin down
the cause of the syndrome and to create a test for early diagnosis.
He says that he is looking for collaborators, and animal-pathogen
researchers contacted by Nature are certainly eager to learn more
about the illness. Primate disease specialist Sonia Altizer of the
University of Georgia in Athens wonders whether any of the animals
were recently captured in the wild, where they could have picked up
the infection, and whether animals were housed singly or in groups.
"Knowing the possible contacts between animals and the chronological
pattern of illness or deaths might also help determine whether this
was indeed an infectious agent, and the possible routes of
transmission," she says.

She also asks what measures the human workers were taking before the
outbreaks to minimize transmission of infectious agents between
monkeys and humans. "Presumably there would be some pretty careful
measures in place that would limit human exposure to any contaminant
or pathogen," she says, "so saying that humans are not susceptible to
me seems premature."

[Byline: David Cyranoski]

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The above article adds some clarity to the translated data included
in our previous postings. However, some details remain unpublished,
particularly the identity of the "6 bacteria and 16 viruses" and the
toxins which are claimed to have been excluded by the applied tests. - Mod.AS]

******
[2]
Date: Fri 16 Jul 2010
Source: Chunichi Shimbun [Trans. from Japanese, edited]
<http://www.chunichi.co.jp/s/article/2010071690091309.html>

KUPRI decided to kill some monkeys in affected cages
-----------------------------------------------------
KUPRI, Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute in Inuyama,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, decided to stepwisely kill some monkeys held
in the same cages where death occurred earlier.

Hirohisa Hirai, deputy director of the Institute, said on Thursday
[16 Jul 2010]: "We said to JMC [see commentary] that their demands
could not be accepted. If all [potentially exposed] monkeys are
eliminated, we shall not be able to discover the cause of the
disease. To contain infection, we intend to kill contacted individuals."

Akira Katoh, director of World Primate Zoo [WPZ; see commentary],
said: "we thought it was important to eliminate all ["down to zero"]
monkeys in the Institute and told them so."

In addition to the 2 close facilities [JMC and WPZ], KUPRI is also
surrounded by a forest which is the habitat of wild monkeys.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[KUPRI has been recently exposed to demands to undertake severe
biosecurity measures, including culling of all its (800) primates, by
2 adjacent institutions: the 'Japan Monkey Centre (JMC)', dealing
with primate research, conservation and education, and the 'World
Primate Zoo (WPZ)', a zoological garden specialising in primates,
which exhibits about 650 individuals of more than 70 species of
living primates. WPZ is regarded as the world's largest collection. - Mod.AS]

**alert** · July 18, 2010, 04:04 PM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - simian hemorrhagic fever suspected

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/f?p=2400:1001:980398740443845::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,83719

Archive Number 20100718.2403
Published Date 18-JUL-2010
Subject PRO/AH> Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Japan (06): etiology

UNDIAGNOSED DEATHS, MACAQUE MONKEYS - JAPAN (06): SUGGESTED ETIOLOGY
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2010
From: Clarence Peters <cjpeters@UTMB.EDU>

This sounds like simian hemorrhagic fever [SHF], an arterivirus
disease. There have been several outbreaks in colonies in the US and
USSR. It is a very contagious disease among macaques, with florid
hemorrhage and DIC [disseminated intravascular coagulation]. Other
non-human primates and humans are not affected. It is a chronic
infection of some Patas monkeys.

The clinical picture is close enough to suspect, and the pathology
would be diagnostic. The virus is tricky to work with in cell
culture, but some sequences were published by Jose Sagripanti and by
Margo Brinton's laboratory, so PCR should work. Tissue viral
concentrations are high.

--
C. J. Peters, MD
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, TX
<cjpeters@UTMB.EDU>

[The Director of Kiyoto University's Primate Research Institute
(PRI), referring to the so-called "haemorrhagic syndrome" in
macaques, is reportedly looking for collaborators (see archived
20100717.2387). The current observation from Prof. CJ Peters, an
eminent authority on the virology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of
hemorrhagic fever viruses, is gratefully acknowledged and is expected
to encourage and enhance collaborative efforts to unravel the
etiology of the syndrome. - Mod.AS]

**makoto** · November 11, 2010, 10:28 AM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

the cause of death: SRV-4

SRV-associated Infectious Thrombocytopenia in Japanese monkeys

detected SRV-4 from blood plasma
The Japanese monkey or Macaque(the Snow Monkey) contracted SRV-4 from The Crab-eating Macaque(Macaca fascicularis) because The Japanese monkey has no immune to SRV-4

Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University http://www.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/pub/pre...111/hokoku.pdf at Japanese
47 news http://www.excite-webtl.jp/world/english/web/?wb_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.47news.jp%2FCN%2F201011%2 FCN2010111101000872.html&wb_lp=JAEN&wb_dis=2

**Gert van der Hoek** · November 11, 2010, 10:43 AM

Re: Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Ebola-Reston suspected

SRV = Simian retrovirus

Read more

See also : Simian hemorrhagic fever virus

**Emily** · March 15, 2015, 03:20 AM

303 See Other

http://www.nature.com/srep/2015/150306/srep08850/full/srep08850.html?WT.ec_id=SREP-631-20150310#ref2

Emergence of infectious malignant thrombocytopenia in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) by SRV-4 after transmission to a novel host

Munehiro Okamoto,
Takayuki Miyazawa,
Shigeru Morikawa,
Fumiko Ono,
Shota Nakamura,
Eiji Sato,
Tomoyuki Yoshida,
Rokusuke Yoshikawa,
Kouji Sakai,
Tetsuya Mizutani,
Noriyo Nagata,
Jun-ichiro Takano,
Sachi Okabayashi,
Masataka Hamano,
Koji Fujimoto,
Takaaki Nakaya,
Tetsuya Iida,
Toshihiro Horii,
Takako Miyabe-Nishiwaki,
Akino Watanabe
et al.
Scientific Reports 5, Article number: 8850 doi:10.1038/srep08850 Received 16 October 2014 Accepted 28 January 2015 Published 06 March 2015

We discovered a lethal hemorrhagic syndrome arising from severe thrombocytopenia in Japanese macaques kept at the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University. Extensive investigation identified that simian retrovirus type 4 (SRV-4) was the causative agent of the disease. SRV-4 had previously been isolated only from cynomolgus macaques in which it is usually asymptomatic. We consider that the SRV-4 crossed the so-called species barrier between cynomolgus and Japanese macaques, leading to extremely severe acute symptoms in the latter. Infectious agents that cross the species barrier occasionally amplify in virulence, which is not observed in the original hosts. In such cases, the new hosts are usually distantly related to the original hosts. However, Japanese macaques are closely related to cynomolgus macaques, and can even hybridize when given the opportunity. This lethal outbreak of a novel pathogen in Japanese macaques highlights the need to modify our expectations about virulence with regards crossing species barriers.

...

All macaques were active as usual even on the day prior to the onset, with almost all eating normally and showing no early signs of disease. Even veteran caretakers were unable to foresee the onset based on the general conditions of the macaques. The onset was very sudden and death occurred within a very short period of time; thus, little could be done to save or treat the affected macaques. Such peracute thrombocytopenia has not occurred in any primates other than Japanese macaques and there have been no reports worldwide of this disease.

...
We still have reservations about why this thrombocytopenia occurred only at KUPRI and whether SRV-4 alone can actually cause this disease.

...
There is no report on SRV-associated thrombocytopenia of humans even from Southeast Asia, where wild macaques are naturally infected with SRV and humans may come into close contact with those macaques regularly. Therefore SRV-4 is less likely to cause thrombocytopenia in humans. In this study, however, we isolated SRV-4 using the Raji cell line, which is the continuous human cell line from hematopoietic origin. It seems premature to conclude that humans are not susceptible to SRV-4 as cautioned by Cyranoski²

Announcement

Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Simian Hemorrhagic Fever

Japan: Undiagnosed deaths, macaque monkeys - Simian Hemorrhagic Fever

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment