Field data for: Enterovirus sequence data obtained from primate samples in Central Africa suggest a high prevalence of enteroviruses with possible zoonotic potential

Enteroviruses infect humans and animals, can cause disease, and some may be transmitted across species barriers. We collected different types of samples from various species  of Central African wildlife, including data on sampling location and tested the samples for the presence of Enterovirus RNA using a family level PCR. Specimen collection was approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the University of California Davis, and the Governments of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Enterovirus RNA was detected in samples from 17 primates and 2 rodents. Some sequences were very similar while others were dissimilar to known species, highlighting the unexplored enterovirus diversity in wildlife.

The samples and filed data were collected by field ecologists as part of the USAID funded PREDICT project (https://ohi.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/programs-projects/predict-project) and screened for enterovirus RNA using consensus PCR. Maps were generated using basic maps from Paintmaps (http://www.paintmaps.com), a free tool for educational and academic use. The dataset contains the metadata on enterovirus screening among wildlife in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2003-2014 as part of the USAID funded PREDICT project. Please refer to the article for more information on methods and references.