Novel Primate T-cell Lymphotropic Viruses (HTLV, STLV) for Development of Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Research Tools, and Vaccines

CDC researchers have isolated and characterized the novel primate T-lymphotropic viruses denoted human T-lymphotropic viruses 3 and 4 (HTLV-3 and HTLV4), that are believed to have resulted from cross-species transmission at some point in the past. It has been previously established that HTLV-1 causes adult T cell leukemia and other inflammatory diseases; HTLV-2 is considered less pathogenic than HTLV-1 and has been associated with a neurologic disease similar to HTLV-1-associated myelopathy. At present, the human pathologies of HTLV-3 and HTLV-4 are yet uncharacterized, but have been identified as infecting rural Central African hunters who have much greater risk of contact with non-human primates, sometimes infected with simian T-lymphotropic viruses (STLVs). As HTLV infected individuals from rural, isolated populations have increasing contact with their urban brethren, there is increased potential for the rapid spread of new viral zoonotic-originating pathogens, much like the theorized "bushmeat" origins of HIV. There is a present and unmet need for increased surveillance, study, and preventative therapeutics directed towards mitigating the public health impact of these viruses. This CDC developed technology provides methods and tools to that end.