Recent insights into the biology of the human foamy virus.

Human foamy virus (HFV) is a complex retrovirus with structural similarities to HIV and human T cell leukemia virus. There have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of HFV in cell cultures. However, viral behavior in vivo, and even viral detection, are still poorly understood. While HFV-transgenic mice develop neuromuscular disorders, attempts to associate HFV with a specific human disease have given inconclusive results.