Retrovirus jumps from primate to man

A little-known retrovirus has jumped from primates to humans in Asia, scientists on Bali have warned.

Simian foamy virus has not been known to cause disease, but a recent study triggers questions about its potential to do so in the future.

Some scientists believe the HIV virus evolved decades after it jumped species to humans.

Lead researcher Lisa Jones-Engel of the University of Washington sampled 82 people near the Sangeh temple "monkey temple" north of Denpasar on Bali. One farmer, bitten and scratched by macaques, tested positive for SFV, becoming Asia's first known case.