Three Serologic Types of Adenovirus Infections of Owl Monkeys

Abstract

SUMMARY From a colony of 131 owl monkeys, adenovirus was isolated 68 times from 433 oropharyngeal and rectal swab sample pairs collected over a 2-year period. A total of 63 of 68 adenovirus isolates were grouped by neutralization into 1 of 3 types designated owl monkey adenovirus types ( omav Ty) I, II, and III. The omav Ty I and Ty II were identified by neutralization with antiserum to squirrel monkey adenovirus type I and adenovirus SV-11, respectively. The omav Ty III was partially neutralized by antiserum to omav Ty II. The omav Ty I was isolated from 8 of 30 newly imported owl monkeys within 3 weeks of arrival. A total of 13 of 26 owl monkeys had a fourfold or greater rise in serum-neutralization ( sn ) titer with 25 of 27 developing sn titers of ≥ 1:80. A total of 40 of 87 other owl monkeys in the colony had sn titers of ≥ 1:5. The omav Ty II was isolated from 51 (12%) of 433 swab sample pairs. Virus was isolated from 26 owl monkeys with 13 having persistent infections. Viral isolations spanned a 10- to 17-month period for five of these owl monkeys. In 114 owl monkeys, 101 (86%) had sn titers to omav Ty II ≥ 1:20. The omav Ty III was isolated from three owl monkeys. Of 114 owl monkeys, 93 (82%) had sn titers to omav Ty III of ≥ 1:20. Although the distribution of sn titers were similar for omav Ty II and Ty III, 42 (37%) of 114 owl monkeys had eightfold or greater differences in sn titers between omav Ty II and Ty III.