Résumé
Changing species
HIV 1 group M, the AIDS pandemic virus, was traced to a single cross-over of simian immunodeficiency virus from chimpanzees in west central Africa. Cross-over from the same reservoir led to the infection of a few individuals in Cameroon with HIV-1 group N. A third virus in this radiation, HIV-1 group O, was identified in Cameroon in 1994 but its primate reservoir was unknown. Now a probable source has been found: viruses resembling HIV-1 group O are present in wild-living gorillas. Like chimpanzees, gorillas are hunted as food, a possible route for human HIV-1 group O infection.
Chimpanzees (
Pan troglodytes troglodytes
) from west central Africa are recognized as the reservoir of simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVcpz
Ptt
) that have crossed at least twice to humans: this resulted in the AIDS pandemic (from human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 group M) in one instance and infection of just a few individuals in Cameroon (by HIV-1 group N) in another
1
. A third HIV-1 lineage (group O) from west central Africa also falls within the SIVcpz
Ptt
radiation
2
, but the primate reservoir of this virus has not been identified
1
. Here we report the discovery of HIV-1 group O-like viruses in wild gorillas.