Detection of serum antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia virus in non-human primates and in people from Africa.

The distribution of serum antibodies to adult T-cell leukemia virus (ATLV) was examined as a marker for virus infection among non-human primates as well as people from Africa and Germany. The virus is present in Africa in certain primate species including man. Altogether, 468 sera from 27 monkey species were examined. Only African green monkeys, less frequently also chimpanzees and crab-eating monkeys, were found to be infected. About 1-2% of people from Kenya have antibodies, while ATLV-antibodies may be present in well below 0.1% of the German population.