Sero-epidemiology of Primate Herpesviruses and Associated Tumors as Models for Human Tumors

ABSTRACT The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) of man is a B-lymphotropic herpesvirus which is ubiquitous in the population and most individuals show no clinical manifestations after primary infection. Some individuals who acquire EBV infection during adolescence develop heterophile-positive infectious mononucleosis. Furthermore, EBV has been shown to be associated with Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Certain B- and T-lymphotropic herpesviruses of Old and New World monkeys offer good models for studying the putative association of herpesviruses with human neoplasia. Herpesvirus papio , a B-lymphotropic virus of baboons and Herpesvirus saimiri , a T-lymphotropic herpesvirus of squirrel monkeys are of interest because these viruses apparently cause no disease in the natural hosts but can induce a spectrum of lymphoproliferative diseases in marmoset monkeys.