Simian Hemorrhagic Fever

Simian hemorrhagic fever is an acutely fatal disease of Asian macaques. It is caused by simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV), which is currently classified as an arterivirus in the family Arteriviridae, order Nidovirales. In contrast to its closest relatives, the arterviruses equine arteritis virus, lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, and porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus, SHFV is almost completely uncharacterized. Thus far, SHFV has never been isolated from wild animals, and all outbreaks have occurred within primate-holding facilities. Recently, scientific interest in simian hemorrhagic fever has increased in the biodefense community because the disease closely resembles viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) caused by certain arena-, bunya-, flavi-, and filovirids. In contrast to these viruses, SHFV does not cause disease in humans, is not listed as a Select Agent or an NIAID Priority Pathogen, and can be handled in standard (A)BSL-2 laboratory environments. SHFV may therefore be a valuable tool for developing nonhuman primate models for VHF, which may not only allow for the better characterization of VHF pathogenesis and the testing of general anti-VHF pharmaceuticals, but may also be used as a training tool for new maximum-containment facilities in regards to safety testing of infrastructure and standard operation procedures. This review summarizes the scientific knowledge on SHFV and the disease it causes.”