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Name: Istvan
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Question:
Which species is HIV able to infect, I have heard that there is a shortage of chimpanzees, but what about dogs? There are plenty of them. What would happen if HIV would be injected in dogs? Can HIV infect the cells of dogs? So which creatures are available for scientists to do research?


Replies:
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your purpose!) viruses are tropic which means that they are very specific about the cells they can infect. Therefore it is rare for human viruses to infect animals and vice versa. Even with monkeys, the AIDS virus that they are infected with is not HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), they use SIV or simian immuno. virus. They infect in similar ways and they extrapolate the information to humans. So unless there is canine immuno. virus and it infects in the same way, it would be of no value.

K. Van Hoeck


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