Young gibbons that were experimentally inoculated with cell-free gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) and developed peristent viremia subsequently developed chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL) with associated multifocal bone lesions and metastases. An 8-month-old gibbon inoculated with 10(5) tissue culture infectious virus (TCIV) developed acute myeloproliferative disease with associated bone lesions after a latency of 5 months, while a 9-month-old gibbon inoculated with 10(3) TCIV developed CGL after and 11-month latency. The clinical symptoms associated with the onset of leukemia were an increased number of leukocytes which were predominantly mature granulocytes, development of anemia, and multifocal bone lesions. Terminally, the animals had elevated immature granulocytes in the blood, cellular bone marrow with a predominant number of immature granulocytes, and hepatosplenomegaly. The gibbon with CGL had metastatic growth in the spleen and lung. Two 14-month-old gibbons that were inoculated with 10(3) TCIV and developed persistent neutralizing antibody to the virus infection remained free of hematopoietic disease, as did uninoculated animals. The fact that only animals with persistent viremia developed leukemia supports the oncogenicity of GaLV in gibbons.