Human/Chimp virus cross-over

Hey all,

We usually talk about the similarity of chimp viruses to human viruses as it relates to human risk for disease. But I found an interesting article that actually reports human viruses, specifically Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Metapneumavirus. Chimps in the Ivory Coast have been dying of the diseases, adding another threat to the already endangered animals. It sort of puts an interesting spin on the idea of zoonoses, huh?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/science/05obviru.html?ref=science

Jon Dyal