Changes in the titer of anti-B virus antibody in captive macaques (Macaca fuscata, M. mulatta, M. fascicularis)

Changes in levels of antibody to B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1; BV) were examined in BV-positive macaques by ELISA. We observed increases in anti-BV IgG titers in a BV-infected cynomolgus monkey after overseas transportation by air and in a rhesus monkey after transfer from an outdoor group cage to an indoor individual cage. Although shedding of infectious virus was not examined, the increase in antibody titer suggested reactivation of BV. Interestingly, we also found an increase in anti-BV IgG levels during the breeding season in male but not female Japanese macaques kept in an enclosed outdoor colony. Further studies should be performed to investigate whether reactivation of BV led to the observed increase in the anti-BV antibody titer.