Worldwide Prevalence of Lentivirus Infection in Wild Feline Species: Epidemiologic and Phylogenetic Aspects
Olmsted RA, Langley R, Roelke ME, Goeken RM, Adger-Johnson D, Julie PG, Albert JP, Packer C, Laurenson MK, Caro TM, Scheepers L, Wildt DE, Bush M, Martenson JS, O'Brien SJ. 1992. Worldwide Prevalence of Lentivirus Infection in Wild Feline Species: Epidemiologic and Phylogenetic Aspects. Journal of Virology. 66(10):6008-6018
The natural occurrence of lentiviruses closely related to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in nondomestic felid species is shown here to be worldwide. Cross-reactive antibodies to FIV were common in several free-ranging populations of large cats, including East African lions and cheetahs of the Serengeti ecosystem and in puma (also called cougar or mountain lion) populations throughout North America. Infectious puma lentivirus (PLV) was isolated from several Florida panthers, a severely endangered relict puma subspecies inhabiting the Big Cypress Swamp and Everglades ecosystems in southern Florida. Phylogenetic analysis of PLV genomic sequences from disparate geographic isolates revealed appreciable divergence from domestic cat FIV sequences as well as between PLV sequences found in different North American locales. The level of sequence divergence between PLV and FIV was greater than the level of divergence between human and certain simian immunodeficiency viruses, suggesting that the transmission of FIV between feline species is infrequent and parallels in time the emergence of HIV from simian ancestors.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Olmsted, Robert; Langley, Raymond; Roelke, Melody; Goeken, Robert; Adger-Johnson, Diane; Julie, P.; Albert, John; Packer, Craig; Laurenson, M.; Caro, Tim; Scheepers, Lue; Wildt, David; Bush, Mitchell; Martenson, Janice; O'Brien, Stephen
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- Cougar, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline species, feline viruses, infectious puma lentivirus, lentivirus, Mountain Lion, puma, Wildlife Health