PATHOGEN
DETECTION
LABORATORY

Road 98 & Hutchison
CNPRC – UC Davis
Davis, CA 95616

530-752-8249

Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)

Simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIV) are a group of genetically related viruses belonging to the lentivirus subgroup of retroviruses. The natural hosts of SIV include many species of African monkeys and the chimpanzee. Prevalence of infection in various populations of captive and wild African primates may exceed 50%. Infection in these natural host species, however, is almost always subclinical. Asian macaques are susceptible to SIV infection, but naturally acquired (i.e. non-experimental) infections in macaques are an artifact of captivity, the result of cross-species transmission from African species through direct contact with infected animals or their tissues or body fluids. SIV is not a naturally occurring infection of wild macaques in their countries of origin. Various strains of SIV are highly pathogenic in macaques, and produce a severe immune deficiency disease. SIV rarely causes overt disease or histologic lesions in natural host species.

Testing for proviral DNA is available by Taqman real-time PCR which targets the SIVmac 251/239 gag gene. Antibody screening using 2 different SIV purified virus antigens in our MMIA is included in our Antibody Screening Panel (AbScn). Confirmatory testing by Western blot prepared with SIVmac virus is also available.