ABSTRACT
The phylogenetic relatedness of nonhuman primates makes them ideal animal hosts to study certain human viral diseases. This chapter considers some of the more important viral diseases of human beings where nonhuman primates can or have been useful models. It emphasizes positive results giving less emphasis to reports of negative findings and those confirming original reports of others. Most of the arenaviruses have a reservoir rodent host and are perpetuated in nature either by vertical or horizontal transmission. Lassa fever is a generalized virus infection of man with multiple organ involvement, manifested by pharyngitis, pneumonia, myositis, myocarditis, and a degree of hemorrhagic diathesis. Argentinian hemorrhagic fever is caused by Junin virus, another member of the Arenavirus family. Mumps virus is also a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Paramyxovirus. Yellow fever is an acute infectious disease occurring primarily in Central and South America and the African continent.
