Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
European Primate Veterinary Association Working Group
on Tuberculosis (
Bushmitz et al., 2009
)and
the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency (2009)
and regulations enforced
by the governments of China and Mauritius recommend
and/or stipulate that tuberculin skin testing should be
performed two or three times at no less than 2-week
intervals during the pre-shipment isolation periods. All
skin test positive animals should be immediately removed
from the isolated population and should undergo a battery
of diagnostic tests ranging from chest radiographs, bron-
choalveolar lavage (BAL) smear and culture, gastric
aspirate smear and culture, interferon-
g
assays, and PCR
testing. Necropsy with histology and cultures of relevant
tissues to verify the presence or absence of mycobacterial
infection should also be considered to evaluate the risk of
exposure to known contacts. Bacterial isolation remains
the gold standard for the diagnosis of M. tuberculosis and
the sensitivity and specificity of PCR for the diagnosis of
primate tuberculosis remains unknown.
Any NHP exposed to a tuberculin skin test positive
animal should undergo at least three additional skin tests at
2-week intervals to allow time for conversion and ideally
should undergo some or all of the diagnostics listed above
to ensure that they are TB free. Clearance of animals with
positive TST or those in contact with animals who had
positive TST should only be allowed in consultation with
the attending veterinarian and based on the known history
of the source colony and eventual disposition of the animals
in question.
Wild-caught and outdoor housed animals have the
potential to be infected with a variety of bacterial organ-
isms, protozoan and metazoan parasites. The clinical signs
associated with these organisms ranges from subclinical to
severe enteric disease to major organ system compromise
and death. During pre-shipment isolation, serial fecal
samples should be collected for smear and floatation and
serial blood samples for thin and thick smears to assess
parasite load. Skin scrapings and hair samples should also
be collected if there is evidence of ectoparasite infestation.
NHPs from source countries, or those housed outdoors in
domestic colonies may also contract a variety of bacterial
infections including Shigella sp., Campylobacter sp., Yer-
sinia sp., or Salmonella sp. Serial rectal swabs should also
be collected and cultured during isolation.
Infection with Plasmodium sp. is also a concern.
Animals imported from countries where malaria is
endemic can carry Plasmodium sp. organisms and possibly
serve as reservoirs for human infection. Malarial disease
can also be a significant confounder of experimental
research (
Hayakawa et al., 2009; Ameri, 2010
). Diagnosis
is generally based on identification of organisms in blood
smears, however new rapid diagnostic tests and PCR
assays may become more common if properly validated
in NHPs.
Receiving
Nonhuman primates are transported most frequently via air
for long distances and via specialized road vehicles for
shorter distances. If animals have traveled a long distance,
especially if coming from overseas, it is imperative that
they be given food and water as soon as possible on arrival.
They may be dehydrated, hypoglycemic, or simply hungry.
On arrival at the quarantine facility, the transport cages
should be taken directly to the assigned room via the soiled
corridor or a route which prevents contaminating the
facility. For safety, a minimum of two individuals should
be available to transfer animals from the transport
containers to the cages. The transport cages should be
disinfected with chemicals or heat sterilization prior to
disposal or returning to the sender. If wooden transport
cages are used, they should be appropriately discarded.
State and local waste management regulations will deter-
mine how the transport containers will be classified for
disposal purposes.
Once in their individual cages animals should be
observed for evidence of illness by trained technicians or
a veterinarian. It is important to note the behavior of the
animals, including their ability to use the automatic
watering system or bottles. If it is not readily apparent that
the animals know how to use the watering system, a bowl
of water should be provided. Depending on the caging
system, it may also be possible to allow water to run
through the automatic watering system continuously. This
can help animals unfamiliar with the system learn to use
the automatic lixits and ensures a continual supply of
water. Supplemental fruit or vegetables may also provide
a source of hydration. If animals appear dehydrated it may
be helpful to offer a flavored electrolyte solution to
encourage drinking and to replace electrolytes. If animals
are noted to be ill or weak, a veterinarian should be con-
sulted immediately.
Both the journey and the change in location are
significant stressors for NHPs. This is especially true for
wild caught animals or animals that were housed in
outdoor facilities and moved indoors for quarantine at
their new location. This should be taken into account
when assessing the animals and a period of at least 2
3
days should be allowed for the animals to acclimate
before any procedures or manipulations are performed on
them.
e
Quarantine Facilities
The location of the quarantine facility is an important step
in the design of an effective quarantine program. Ideally,
the quarantine facility should be located at a separate
building from the rest of the colony and it should not share
equipment, clothing, personnel, ventilation system, or
