Molecular Detection and Characterization of Herpesvirus Papio 2 (HVP2) in Wild-Caught Olive Baboons from Selected Regions in Kenya

There is a remarkable similarity between Herpesvirus papio 2 (HVP2) infecting baboons and human simplex virus (HSV) in terms of molecular biology, protein functions, and resulting infections. However, no definitive therapy exists, and the available drugs only improve the clinical signs of recurrent or asymptomatic infections. This research results may be useful for studies on the quest for HVP2 curative and preventive drugs in baboon models. Later, a similar study could be done on HSV in humans.

A total of 60 baboons were sampled from six different counties in Kenya. Of these, 51 cases were wild caught from five counties, and nine cases were from the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) colonies designated as captive baboons. Oral and genital swabs were collected for analysis. The trigeminal ganglia of three study subjects were also aseptically sampled. Polymerase chain reaction test was used to determine the prevalence of HVP2. HVP2-positive samples were sequenced and aligned to GenBank sequences using BLAST to identify specific circulating strains and generate phylogenetic relationships. DnaSP6 was used for genetic diversity analysis.

Among 60 baboons studied, 65% were positive for the virus. One strain, A951, was identified as the prevalent strain. Extremely low fixation index values (Fst) were recorded, showing low genetic diversity within and between subpopulations.

The identified strain was non-pathogenic but could be clinically manifested as painful sores on the host's mucosal membranes and cause stillbirths. The virus prevalence was 75.86% in genital samples and 54.86% in oral samples, indicating that oral transmission is less common than genital transmission.