Recent insights into the biology of the human foamy virus

Abstract Human foamy virus (HFV) is a complex retrovirus with structural similarities to HIV and human T cell leukemia virus. There have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of HFV in cell cultures. However, viral behavior in vivo , and even viral detection, are still poorly understood. While HFV-transgenic mice develop neuromuscular disorders, attempts to associate HFV with a specific human disease have given inconclusive results.