Research Article
Human Polyomavirus Related to African Green Monkey Lymphotropic Polyomavirus
Virginie Sauvage, Vincent Foulongne, Justine Cheval, Meriadeg Ar Gouilh, Kevin Pariente, Olivier Dereure, Jean Claude Manuguerra, Jennifer Richardson, Marc Lecuit, Ana Burguière, Valérie Caro, Marc Eloit
Published:
August 01, 2011
DOI:
10.3201/eid1708.110278
License:
Abstract
TOC summary: This virus is shed at the human skin surface.While studying the virome of the skin surface of a patient with a Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) by using unbiased, high-throughput sequencing, we identified a human polyomavirus nearly identical to human polyomavirus 9, a virus recently reported in blood and urine of renal transplantion patients and closely related to the African green monkey lymphotropic polyomavirus. Specific PCR analysis further identified this virus in 2/8 patients with MCC but in only 1/111 controls without MCC. This virus was shed for >20 months by the MCC index patient and was on the skin of the spouse of the index patient. These results provide information on the viral ecology of human skin and raise new questions regarding the pathology of virus-associated skin disorders.