Exceptional Simian Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Diversity in a Wild African Primate Community

Abstract

Simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV) is an arterivirus that causes severe disease in captive macaques. We describe two new SHFV variants subclinically infecting wild African red-tailed guenons (Cercopithecus ascanius). Both variants are highly divergent from the prototype virus and variants infecting sympatric red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus). All known SHFV variants are monophyletic and share three open reading frames not present in other arteriviruses. Our data suggest a need to modify the current arterivirus classification.