Isolation of a herpes simplex virus type 1-like agent from the brain of a mountain agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis agilis) with encephalitis.

A captive-born 2-yr-old male mountain agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis agilis) that died of encephalitis harbored a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1)-like agent in the brain. A complete necropsy revealed intensive meningeal congestion with nonsuppurative encephalitis. The virus was recovered from frozen brain tissue in Vero cells. The isolate was very similar but not identical to human HSV1. Both western blot assay and virus neutralization tests were done with sera from 15 gibbons. Antibodies against HSV1 and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) were detected in four healthy gibbons, which included four species in three subgenera.