Arboviruses and lemurs in Madagascar: a preliminary note.

The epidemiological role played by lemurs in the circulation of arboviruses in Madagascar has been studied. From serological (HAI) tests, exposure of lemurs to alphaviruses and flaviviruses appears to vary considerably with location and species of lemur; positive tests varied from 0 to 32%. Finally, the data concerning the lemurophilic part of the mosquito fauna suggests that some lemur species and man are infected by the same arboviruses, especially West Nile virus. The susceptibility of these primates to yellow fever virus, which has not yet occurred in Madagascar is under study.