Cynomolgus polyomavirus PCR test

Polyomaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that belong to the family Papovaviridae. Papillomaviruses are also in this family. Humans and animals infected by polyomaviruses usually do not develop major life-threatening clinical symptoms, so carriers of these viruses may not be easily detected. However, in immune-compromised individuals these polyomaviruses can cause significant damage to organs including brain, kidney and liver.

Polyomaviruses have a narrow host range, so it is not common for a polyomavirus from one primate species to infect another species. Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a polyomavirus which which infects rhesus monkeys and is very similar in genomic sequence to cynomolgus polyomavirus. However, there are significant differences between the two viruses in protein composition, leading to the conclusion that cynomolgus polyomavirus is a separate viral species which is distinct from SV40.

Cynomolgus polyomavirus seroprevalence in captive and wild cynomolgus monkeys is not known. However, in a study (Verschoor et al., 2008) measuring antibodies that cross-react with SV40 in colonies of captive monkeys, high seropositive rates were found in rhesus macaques (74.7%), cynomolgus macaques (44.8%) and Tonkean macaques (41.7%), especially in animals imported from China. Much lower seropositive rates were detected in cynomolgus macaques from Mauritius (8.8%). Monkeys that have been exposed to cynomolgus polyomavirus may potentially be carriers, with reactivation occurring under stress or clinical treatments impacting the immune system.

It is difficult to diagnose carrier status using serological tests. Molecular detection by polymerase chain reaction is an easy, quick and specific way to identify the presence of this virus.

Utilities:

Help confirm the disease causing agent
Help ensure that animal colonies are free of this virus
Early prevention of spread of this virus among a colony
Minimize personnel exposure to this virus
Safety monitoring of biological products and vaccines that derive from primates

References:
Verschoor, E.J., Niphuis, H., Fagrouch, Z., Christian, P., Sasnauskas, K., Pizarro, M.C. and Heeney, J.L. (2008) Seroprevalence of SV40-like polyomavirus infections in captive and free-ranging macaque species. J. Med. Primatol. 37:196-201.

Specimen requirement: 0.2 ml fresh tissue, or 0.2 ml EDTA whole blood, or 0.2 ml urine, or 0.2 ml frozen or fixed tissue.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Ultrasensitive qualitative real time PCR

Normal range: Nondetected