Intitulé du projet
SIVs at the interface between humans and non-human primates and evaluation of the impact
of SIVs on health and survival of wild ape populations infected with the ancestors of HIV-1
Responsables scientifiques
Martine Peeters (UMI233/INSERM U1175/ UM, Montpellier, France)
Eitel Mpoudi Ngole (IMPM/CREMER/PRESICA, Yaoundé, Cameroun)
Steve Ahuka-Mundeke (INRB, Kinshasa, RDC)
Fabian Leendertz (RKI, Berlin, Allemagne)
Objectives
The main objective of the present application is to study SIVs at the interface between humans and
non-human primates and evaluation of the impact of SIVs on health and survival of wild ape
populations infected with the ancestors of HIV-1. The specific objectives are (1) determine the
prevalence and genetic diversity in gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos to yield insight into the origin
of all HIV-1 groups, to understand circumstances by which apes and humans initially acquired SIV or HIV-1, to compare host specific mechanisms of virus adaptation and pathogenicity, (2) determine the prevalence, geographic distribution of SIV in primates which are frequently hunted in order to asses which pathogens may be a risk for humans, (3) document whether other SIVs crossed the species barrier from primates to humans, (4) document to what extent SIV infection has a negative impact on the survival of wild chimpanzee and gorilla populations