Research Sheds New Light on Herpes Virus Transmission Among Trafficked Peruvian Primates

A new study examines trafficked Peruvian Neotropical primates with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), a lethal disease for some primate species, that, if undetected, can spread among trafficked animals and to those in rehabilitation centers and in the wild.

Thousands of Neotropical primates have been illegally trafficked from the Peruvian Amazon, extracted from their habitats and exposed to humans and other species they have not had previous contact with—heightening the risk of zoonotic disease transmission and spillover.

Featured in the May issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, “ Herpes Simplex Virus 1 in Trigeminal Ganglia of Trafficked Neotropical Primates, Peru, 2024 ” is a unique study because of its focus on the trigeminal ganglia, an area of the brain where HSV-1 commonly resides in humans latently infected with the virus.

Currently, common diagnostic assays used to detect HSV-1 in Neotropical primates include oral swab PCR and serology, which may miss infections that are latent or not active.

Fernando Vilchez-Delgado, VG27, Ph.D.

student at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, is the lead author of the study.

Marieke Rosenbaum, V14, MG14 (M.P.H.), assistant professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health at Cummings School, serves as the principal investigator for this project and has published extensively on zoonotic disease transmission among illegally trafficked animals.

Much more devastating to primates than humans, HSV-1 can cause neurological and hemorrhagic disease and death in some species, often within days.

With no proven treatment options, if an animal tests positive, it is often euthanized, along with any other animals exposed in its group, to prevent further spread.

Vilchez-Delgado and Rosenbaum pulled together an international research team to examine the trigeminal ganglia of 37 trafficked carcasses across seven species of Peruvian Neotropical primates.

While all the primates were asymptomatic prior to their deaths, four were found to have HSV-1 in the trigeminal ganglia even though the virus was not detected in oral swabs, indicating that Neotropical primates infected with HSV-1 may not exhibit symptoms or test positive on a typical PCR test.

The report adds to ongoing university-led research relevant to veterinary medicine, animal health, and clinical decision-making.

university website: Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University