@article{6b7b79f439a64ed482e767008c91cff1,
title = "Discovery of Novel Herpes Simplexviruses in Wild Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees Supports Zoonotic Origin of HSV-2",
abstract = "Viruses closely related to human pathogens can reveal the origins of human infectious diseases. Human herpes simplexvirus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are hypothesized to have arisen via host-virus codivergence and cross-species transmission. We report the discovery of novel herpes simplexviruses during a large-scale screening of fecal samples from wild gorillas, bonobos, and chimpanzees. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that, contrary to expectation, simplexviruses from these African apes are all more closely related to HSV-2 than to HSV-1. Molecular clock-based hypothesis testing suggests the divergence between HSV-1 and the African great ape simplexviruses likely represents a codivergence event between humans and gorillas. The simplexviruses infecting African great apes subsequently experienced multiple cross-species transmission events over the past 3 My, the most recent of which occurred between humans and bonobos around 1 Ma. These findings revise our understanding of the origins of human herpes simplexviruses and suggest that HSV-2 is one of the earliest zoonotic pathogens. ",
keywords = "ape, herpesvirus, molecular clock, phylogenetics, zoonosis",
author = "Wertheim, {Joel O.} and Reilly Hostager and Diane Ryu and Kevin Merkel and Samuel Angedakin and Mimi Arandjelovic and Ayimisin, {Emmanuel Ayuk} and Fred Babweteera and Mattia Bessone and Brun-Jeffery, {Kathryn J.} and Paula Dieguez and Winnie Eckardt and Barbara Fruth and Ilka Herbinger and Sorrel Jones and Hjalmar Kuehl and Langergraber, {Kevin E.} and Kevin Lee and Madinda, {Nadege F.} and Sonja Metzger and Ormsby, {Lucy Jayne} and Robbins, {Martha M.} and Volker Sommer and Tara Stoinski and Wessling, {Erin G.} and Wittig, {Roman M.} and Yuh, {Yisa Ginath} and Leendertz, {Fabian H.} and S{\'e}bastien Calvignac-Spencer",
note = "Funding Information: Funding for the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee was provided by the Max Planck Society and the Max Planck Society Innovation Fund. We thank the national wildlife authorities for providing permissions for our research: Ministere de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation, Cameroon, Ministere des Forets et de la Faune, Cameroon;Ministere des Eaux et Forets, Cote d'Ivoire; Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature,Ministere de la Recherche Scientifique, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CENAREST), Gabon; Ministere de l'Agriculture de l'Elevage et des Eaux et Forets, Guinea; Forestry Development Authority, Liberia; Conservation Society of Mbe Mountains (CAMM), National Park Service, Nigeria; Direction des Eaux, For^ets et Chasses, Senegal; Rwanda Development Board, Rwanda; and Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS), Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), Uganda Wildlife Authority, National Forestry Authority, Uganda. We thank Anthony Agbor, Floris Aubert, Emma Bailey, Arcel Bamba, Christophe Boesch, Gregory Brazzola, Katherine Corogenes, Lucy D'Auvergne, Theophile Desarmeaux, Andrew Dunn, David Eryenyu, Henk Eshuis, Inaoyom Imong, Olivia Haggis, Laura Kehoe, Deo Kujirakwinja, Joshua Linder, Eno-Nku Manasseh, Giovanna Maretti, Vianet Mihindou, Yasmin Moebius, Geoffrey Muhanzugi, Mizuki Murai, Robinson Orume, Sebastien Regnaut, Laurent Savary, Martin Ter Heegde, Alexander Tickle, Richard Tshombe, Nadege Wangue Njomen, Livia Wittiger, and Klaus Zuberbuehler for their help with organizing the collection/collecting great ape fecal samples. We also thank Guy Baele and Philippe Lemey for their guidance on performing and optimizing the generalized stepping stone analysis. This work was supported by the United States National Institutes of Health (NIAID R21AI115701 and R01AI135992) and the German Research Council projects LE1813/14-1 (Great Ape Health in Tropical Africa). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Author(s).",
year = "2021",
month = jul,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1093/molbev/msab072",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "38",
pages = "2818--2830",
journal = "Molecular Biology and Evolution",
issn = "0737-4038",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "7",
}
