Enrique Montoya

A survey for helminth parasites in feral New World non‐human primate populations and its comparison with parasitological data from man in the region

Abstract:  A survey for helminth parasites in feral New World non‐human primates was conducted and compared with parasitological data from man in the region. A total of 835 fecal samples were collected from feral Aotus nancymae, A. vociferans, Saguinus labiatus, S. mystax, Saimiri boliviensis peruviensis, S. sciureus macrodon, Lagothrix lagotricha and Cacajao calvus rubicundus. In addition, adult parasites were collected from necropsies performed on monkeys that died during quarantine and in captivity. Helminth parasites shared by non‐human primates and man in Peru were Ancylostoma braziliensis and Ascaris lumbricoides, found in a captive L. lagotricha; Necator americanus, found in a captive C. calvus rubicundus; Hymenolepis diminuta, found in feral Aotus spp. and S. mystax; and a single Trichuris spp. specimen found in a feral S. sciureus macrodon.

Spontaneous terminal ileitis resembling Crohn disease in captive tamarins

Five tamarins (four Saguinus mystax and one S. labiatus) died with wasting syndrome characterized by chronic diarrhea at the Center for Reproduction and Conservation of Non‐Human Primates in Iquitos, Peru. At necropsy, the terminal ileum of all affected tamarins was found to be markedly thickened. Histologically, the terminal ileal mucosa was completely ulcerated, and effaced by debris and mononuclear inflammatory cells. The submucosa and serosa were thickened by fibroplasia, mononuclear cell infiltrates and variable edema. No infectious agent was observed. The lesions were similar to those described previously for Crohn disease. This is to our knowledge the first report of terminal ileitis resembling Crohn disease in non‐human primates.

Prevalence of antibody to Plasmodium falciparum antigens among feral Saimiri monkeys in the Amazon basin region of Peru

The squirrel monkey (Saimiri spp.) is a small New World monkey that has been used for several years in biomedical investigations. Recently, this monkey was reported as a model for evaluating candidate vaccines for protection against Plasmodium falciparum infection [5,7,8,11]. However, it is commonly assumed that these monkeys are resistant to P. falciparum infection and that splenectomy is required to render them susceptible to infection [5,14]. However, as described in this report, because of serological evidence of natural falciparum infection in blood samples obtained from feral Saimiri sciureus macrodon, it is suggested to prescreen these monkeys for antibodies before using them in malaria studies.

Biochemical diversity and genetic distances in the Pitheciinae subfamily (primates, platyrrhini)

One hundred and forty-three sakis (Pithecia), 107 bearded sakis (Chiropotes), and 7 red uakaris (Cacajao) were studied in relation to 18 genetic loci expressed on blood through electrophoretic techniques. Eight of the 18 loci showed intrapopulational variation. The low level of genetic diversity found inPithecia could be a consequence of a decrease in populational size due to intense habitat destruction. The genetic distances between the species investigated were:Pithecia ×Chiropotes: 0.49;Pithecia ×Cacajao: 0.57;Cacajao ×Chiropotes: 0.18–0.20. These results suggest, in accordance with other data, thatChiropotes andCacajao constitute a sister group within the pithecines.

Relationship of creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and proteinuria to cardiomyopathy in the owl monkey (Aotus vociferans)

Background  The purpose of this study was to determine serum reference values for creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in captive‐born and wild‐caught owl monkeys to assess their usefulness for diagnosing myocardial disease.

Spontaneous colitis cystica profunda in captive tamarins

Of the 232 tamarins (133 Saguinus mystax and 99 Saguinus labiatus) that died at the Center for Reproduction and Conservation of Nonhuman Primates in Iquitos, Peru from January 1987 to December 1990, 23 monkeys (9.9%) were diagnosed as having chronic colitis. Typically, the cecal and colonic mucosa was greyish and small yellowish cysts, measuring 1–4 mm, were found randomly distributed bulging the mucosa. Microscopically, colitis cystica profunda was diagnosed additionally in six more animals, giving a total of 29 cases (12.5%). This is the first report to our knowledge that describes colitis cystica profunda in a nonhuman primate.

Possible spontaneous mycobacteriosis in an owl monkey: Dear Editor:

The incidence of tuberculosis in New World monkeys is much lower than in Old World species. In owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) two cases were reported in animals which were splenectomized [2,6] or challenged with the microorganism [l] . This report describes a fatal Mycobacteriurn infection of unknown origin in a captive owl monkey at the Center for Reproduction and Conservation of Nonhuman Primates (CRCP), Iquitos, Peru. An adult female owl monkey was wild-caught, paired with an adult male, and maintained in a breeding colony for more than seven years. In 1987 the animal died. At necropsy, the monkey was thin and weighed 482 g. A single abscess was found in the right cranial lobe of the lung, the mediastinal lymph nodes were swollen, and multiple randomly distributed focal abscesses (0.1 to 2 cm) were found in the liver, pancreas, and spleen. The abscesses contained a whitish, caseous, soft, moist material on cut surface. Tissue samples of all major organs were taken and fixed on 10% formalin. No bacterial cultures were made because of laboratory limitations in the holding facility. Histologic examination stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Ziehl-Neelsen revealed multiple granulomas and massive fibrosis with focal necrosis in the spleen, pancreas, and liver. Focal granulomas and pneumonia composed primarily of interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration were seen in the lung. The focal cellular reaction consisted of histiocytes and lesser numbers of lymphocytes. The lesions were suggestive of tuberculosis, despite the absence of multinucleated giant cells. The Ziehl-Neelsen stain revealed many long, slender acid-fast bacilli in necrotic foci. The kidneys had diffuse fibrosis and slight focal interstitial mononuclear cell infiltration in the cortical zone, but no acid-fast bacilli were present. We have never found tuberculosis-type lesions in recently wild-caught owl monkeys and believe that this animal became infected during the seven years of captivity. The most probable source of infection would be exposure to infected human subjects. However, tuberculin tests performed on the personnel were negative. The male housed in the same cage continues to be clinically healthy and tuberculin test negative. The tuberculin test does not appear to be a reliable diagnostic method in owl monkeys [ 1,2,6]. Splenectomy and infection with malarial parasites, resulting in debilitation could have decreased the owl monkey’s resistance to tuberculosis [6].