A new study marks the first time researchers have been able to confirm human herpesvirus in lemurs via a molecular analysis, outlining the cases of four privately owned animals who died from the illness.
Human alphaherpesvirus (HuAHV1) infections are rarely, if ever, reported in lemurs, which is a good thing — the disease tends to cause fatal encephalitis in the wet-nosed and bushy-tailed mammals.
The study is published in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.
“Herpes, as viruses, have amazing host fidelity,” said Jim Wellehan, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D., senior author of the study and a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida.
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Image: A ring-tailed lemur. (Getty Images)