Posted on 07/17/2011 12:06:38 AM PDT by neverdem
Adenovirus remained infectious after crossing species barrier.
A class of virus has for the first time been shown to jump from animals to humans and then to infect other humans.
The virus is described in PLoS Pathogens today1. The team that discovered it might also have found the first human to be infected: the primary carer for a colony of titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) that suffered an outbreak.
The culprit is an adenovirus, one of a class of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, including pneumonia. But this particular strain has never been seen before. It has been dubbed TMAdV, or titi-monkey adenovirus.
"It's always been thought that adenoviruses are not likely to be causes of outbreaks or pandemics because they have never been known to cross between animals and humans," says Charles Chiu, director of the UCSFAbbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), who led the study. Now that assumption needs to be re-examined.
In May 2009, a deadly outbreak of respiratory illness spread through a colony of titi monkeys at the California National Primate Research Center in Davis. Of the 65 monkeys housed in one building, 23 developed symptoms, including pneumonia. As a result, 19 died or were put down.
Chiu and his colleagues analysed tissue taken from the affected monkeys, and identified a previously unknown virus. Genetic sequencing revealed it to be an adenovirus, although its genome was substantially different to those of all known related viruses...
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
micro ping
bump for later
Thanks! I hope they keep this one contained.
I don't believe that is true.
A virus for animals has keys (proteins) that only fit the lock on animal cells. Same for humans.
However, sometimes that key mutates, and will fit a human cell lock.
(useless information): Did you know that the viruses were the first creatures on Earth, and that without them we could not survive?
I just want to say titi monkey.
This doesn't sound right; way too high, I'd say.
Cowpox?
But I suppose it doesn’t go human to human without a lot of artificial help.
I thought most if not all flu viruses came from birds.
I recommend “The Great Influenza” by Barry.
Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.
“a colony of titi monkeys”
Beavis? Are you there Beavis?
Just what we need, more horrid zoonotic (sp?) diseases.
Jumping Jehosaphat! 18% must be for 3rd world with no meds.
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