Isolation of Herpesvirus hominis from Lemurs : A Naturall y Occurring Epizootic at a Zoological Garden in Nigeria

Abstract

During the period January-August 1968, a fatal illness occurred in a small colony of lemurs (Lemur cat to) established at the University of Ibadan Zoological Garden in late 1962. Herpesvirus hominis was isolated from the brain and saliva of one lemur and from the brain of another. Histopathologic examination showed lesions compatible with herpesvirus infection in tissues of lemurs and in mice inoculated with lemur material. Identity of the virus was established by neutralization tests in mice and tissue culture systems utilizing human foetal kidney diploid cells and primary rhesus monkey kidney cells in conjunction with known Herpesvirus hominis hyperimmune serum; and in fluorescent antibody tests done with infected mouse brain material and specific hyperimmune sera conjugated to fluorescein-isothiocyanate