%0 Journal Article %A Meertens, L. %A Shanmugam, V. %A Gessain, A. %A Beer, B. E. %A Tooze, Z. %A Heneine, W. %A Switzer, W. M. %T A novel, divergent simian T-cell lymphotropic virus type 3 in a wild-caught red-capped mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus torquatus) from Nigeria %D 2003 %J Journal of General Virology, %V 84 %N 10 %P 2723-2727 %@ 1465-2099 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.19253-0 %I Microbiology Society, %X We present here a novel, distinct simian T-cell lymphotropic virus (STLV) found in a red-capped mangabey (Cercocebus torquatus) (CTO-NG409), wild-caught in Nigeria, that showed an HTLV-2-like Western blot (WB) seroreactivity. The complete genome (8920 bp) of CTO-NG409 STLV was related to but different from STLV-3/PHA-PH969 (13·5 %) and STLV-3/PPA-F3 (7·6 %), and STLV-3/CTO604 (11·3 %), found in Eritrean and Senegalese baboons, and red-capped mangabeys from Cameroon, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of a conserved tax (180 bp) sequence and the env gene (1482 bp) confirmed the relatedness of STLV-3/CTO-NG409 to the STLV-3 subgroup. Molecular clock analysis of env estimated that STLV-3/CTO-NG409 diverged from East and West/Central African STLV-3s about 140 900±12 400 years ago, suggesting an ancient African origin of STLV-3. Since phylogenetic evidence suggests multiple interspecies transmissions of STLV-1 to humans, and given the antiquity and wide distribution of STLV-3 in Africa, a search for STLV-3 in human African populations with HTLV-2-like WB patterns is warranted. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.19253-0