The ecology of primate retroviruses – An assessment of 12 years of retroviral studies in the Taï national park area, Côte d׳Ivoire

Highlights

• Factors that influence the transmission of retroviruses in the wild are poorly understood.

• At Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, many primate species face high SIV, STLV-1 and SFV prevalence.

• Instances of transmission, including to humans, have been documented there.

• Approaches combining primatology and retrovirology are needed to refine this picture and ultimately identify risk factors.

Abstract

The existence and genetic make-up of most primate retroviruses was revealed by studies of bushmeat and fecal samples from unhabituated primate communities. For these, detailed data on intra- and within-species contact rates are generally missing, which makes identification of factors influencing transmission a challenging task. Here we present an assessment of 12 years of research on primate retroviruses in the Taï National Park area, Côte d’Ivoire. We discuss insights gained into the prevalence, within- and cross-species transmission of primate retroviruses (including towards local human populations) and the importance of virus–host interactions in determining cross-species transmission risk. Finally we discuss how retroviruses ecology and evolution may change in a shifting environment and identify avenues for future research.