Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
United Press International - July 22, 2009
SIV has many forms and was thought to be harmless to apes, researchers from the University of Illinois who participated in the global study said in a news release. SIV is the precursor virus for AIDS and HIV-1, which first entered human populations after transmission from chimpanzees.
"Chimpanzees and humans are very similar genetically, so perhaps we should not be surprised that these closely related viruses cause disease in both hosts," said Dr. Beatrice Hahn, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who led an international consortium.
Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and University of Illinois researchers established a chimpanzee health-monitoring program at Gombe National Park in Tanzania, providing laboratories and expertise for post-mortem analyses of chimpanzees that died during the course of the study.
For the last nine years, the consortium has monitored SIV infections of the Gombe chimpanzees. Researchers said they found chimpanzees infected with SIV were 10 to16 times more likely to die in any year than those who remained uninfected.
"When I first looked at these samples I was taken aback," said U-I veterinary pathologist Karen Terio, a primary author on the paper. "Slides from one of the chimps showed extreme lymphatic tissue destruction, and looked just like a sample from a human patient who has died of AIDS."
090722
UP090715
Copyright © 2009 - United Press International. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through United Press International, Permissions Desk, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 2005. Main Phone Switchboard: 202-898-8000 FAX: 202-898-8057 or 202-898-8147 Email: info@upi.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2009. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2009. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .