Global InformationWoolly monkey hepatitis B virus information
| Woolly monkey hepatitis B virus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification 
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| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Pararnavirae |
| Phylum: | Artverviricota |
| Class: | Revtraviricetes |
| Order: | Blubervirales |
| Family: | Hepadnaviridae |
| Genus: | Orthohepadnavirus |
| Species: | Woolly monkey hepatitis B virus
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The woolly monkey hepatitis B virus (WMHBV) is a viral species of the Orthohepadnavirus genus of the Hepadnaviridae family. Its natural host is the woolly monkey (Lagothrix), an inhabitant of South America categorized as a New World primate. WMHBV, like other hepatitis viruses, infects the hepatocytes, or liver cells, of its host organism. It can cause hepatitis, liver necrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).[2] Because nearly all species of Lagothrix are threatened or endangered,[1] researching and developing a vaccine and/or treatment for WMHBV is important for the protection of the whole woolly monkey genus.
WMHBV is also of great interest to researchers because of its potential to teach us more about the human hepatitis B virus (HBV). WMHBV is a distant phylogenetic sister species to human HBV, although the evolutionary history of hepatitis B viruses is not well understood. Additionally, WMHBV was the first hepadnavirus other than human HBV that was known to infect non-human primates.[2] The discovery of WMHBV opened up the possibility of developing a primate model for HBV, since prior, most hepatitis B research was done with duck or woodchuck models.[2] Since the discovery of WMHBV, another primate-infecting hepadnavirus has been discovered: capuchin monkey hepatitis B virus (CMHBV).[3] Both CMHBV and WMHBV have potential to play an important role in the development of human hepatitis B treatments.
- ^ a b "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
- ^ a b c Lanford RE, Chavez D, Brasky KM, Burns RB, Rico-Hesse R (May 1998). "Isolation of a hepadnavirus from the woolly monkey, a New World primate". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 95 (10): 5757–61. Bibcode:1998PNAS...95.5757L. doi:10.1073/pnas.95.10.5757. PMC 20452. PMID 9576957.
- ^ Parry NM (June 2018). "New Virus in Capuchin Monkeys: Animal Model for Chronic HBV?". American Veterinarian. Retrieved 2019-12-13.