Macacine gammaherpesvirus 4 (McHV-4), commonly known as rhesus lymphocryptovirus (RLV), is a species of virus in the genus Lymphocryptovirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales.
[1][2] In nature, RLV infects rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).
Its genetic structure has been fully sequenced and found to be highly homologous with that of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), at 65%.
The structural proteins are highly conserved, while genes expressed during Human gammaherpesvirus 4 latent infection are much less well conserved.
[3] RLV infection in rhesus monkeys resembles EBV infection in humans in several respects: These features make the rhesus lymphocryptovirus potentially useful for studying the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of EBV infection and associated oncogenesis.