Herpes B virus

The herpes virus simiae, also known as herpes B virus, B virus or loud ICTV Cercopithecines herpesvirus 1 ( CeHV -1), is an Old World monkey in the Cercopithecidae ( monkeys, baboons and macaques especially ) occurring virus of the genus simplex virus. It is the herpes simplex virus ( HSV -1 and -2) of people very closely related and triggers the monkey species as its natural hosts no or only mild symptoms similar to a herpes labialis from. If the herpes virus simiae but transmitted to humans, it can cause a very severe, usually fatal disease, the herpes B.

History

The disease in humans was first observed and characterized in 1932 by Albert Sabin. He named the disease and hence the excitation by the last name of the deceased from severe encephalitis patients William Bartlet Brebner.

Morphology and genome

The virions of herpes virus simiae are about 100 nm in diameter large, enveloped and contain an icosahedral capsid. The genome consists of a double-stranded molecule of a linear DNA and is about 157 kbp in size. It contains at least 75 different genes for viral proteins.

The genome of the CeHV -1 has in its construction and the arrangement of the gene segments very similar to the herpes simplex virus (HSV -1 and HSV -2), human ( e- type genome ); one with HSV occurring, for replication in nervous tissue of important gene segment but lacks the CeHV -1, although it can cause neurotropic disease. Some of the surface proteins of CeHV -1 show a greater homology to other coat proteins of other simplex viruses, in addition to the HSV -1 and -2 and the non- human pathogenic bovine herpesvirus 2 (BHV -2) and Cercopithecinen herpesvirus 2 ( CeHV -2).

Dissemination and transfer

The CeHV -1 is spread worldwide due to the keeping of animals in zoos and the use of monkeys and cell cultures from monkey tissue. Especially vervet monkeys and rhesus monkeys and other Asiatic species of the genus Macaca are relevant as reservoirs and vectors of CeHV -1. The infection is similar in animal groups through social contacts of the human herpes simplex infections. The prevalence of antibodies to CeHV -1 is dependent on the density of the animal population and can be up to 70% in rhesus monkeys colonies. In rhesus monkeys from very dense living colonies of monkeys Hindu temple in Nepal, about 64 % antibodies could be detected.

Swell

• CM Fauquet, MA Mayo et al.: Eighth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. London, San Diego, 2005, p 199 ISBN 0-12-249951-4
• G. Darai, M. Handermann, E. Hinz, H.-G. Sunday: Encyclopedia of infectious diseases of man. 2nd edition, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2003 p 41ff ISBN 3-540-44168-9