Experimental infection of cynomolgus and African green monkeys with human herpesvirus 6.

Cynomolgus and African green monkeys were inoculated with human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6). An antibody response was first observed 10 days and 5 days after inoculation of cynomolgus monkeys and African green monkeys, respectively, and was detectable for the duration of the experiment (33 days). HHV-6 DNA was first detected by the polymerase chain reaction in mononuclear cells of one cynomolgus monkey and one African green monkey 10 days after virus inoculation, and in a total of three of four cynomolgus monkeys (75%) and four of five African green monkeys (80%) later after inoculation. Furthermore, HHV-6 DNA was detected in the lymph nodes and spleen of monkeys killed 33 days after virus inoculation. A rash was observed on the trunk of one African green monkey 13 days after virus inoculation, otherwise the infection was asymptomatic. When mononuclear cells from both groups of monkeys were cultured in medium containing concanavalin A and interleukin 2, and infected with HHV-6 in vitro, virus replication was observed. The data suggest that HHV-6 infects these species of monkey and that this system could be useful as an animal model of HHV-6 infection.