Debilitating clinical disease in a wild-born captive western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) co-infected with varicella zoster virus (VZV) and simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV).

A wild-born, 34-yr-old female western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) was transferred between zoologic collections in the United Kingdom. Adjustment to its new environment was difficult and a series of health problems ensued. Progressive severe illness of multiple etiologies, and a failure to respond to multiple therapies, led to its euthanasia 5 mo later. Disease processes included severe thoracic and axillary cutaneous ulceration of T2-3 dermatome distribution, gastroenteritis, ulcerative stomatitis, emaciation, hind limb weakness or paresis, and decubitus ulcers of the ankles and elbows. Ante- and postmortem infectious disease screening revealed that this animal was not infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, simian varicella virus (SVV), simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), or hepatitis B virus; but was infected with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and simian T-lymphotropic virus (STLV). It is hypothesized that recrudescence of VZV and other disease processes described were associated with chronic STLV infection and the end of a characteristically long incubation period.