Human and Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses in Nonhuman Primates

Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and the simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) are members of the lentivirus subfamily of retroviruses. HIV-1 and HIV-2 were isolated from humans with AIDS, and SIVs, a related group, were isolated from various species of African and Asian monkeys (Table 26.1). These three lentiviruses have been used for three different animals models of AIDS. Each model has different applications; their use and current status are the subject of this review. The three animal models are (1) infection of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with HIV-1 [1], (2) infection of rhesus macaques (mac) (Macaca mulatta) with HIV-2 [2], and (3) infection of various macaque species (monkeys belonging to the genus Macaca) with one of the various SIVs (Table 26.1) found in Asian macaques, West African sooty mangabeys (sm), and East African green monkeys (agm) [3–9].