A case of intestinal Mycobacterium simiae infection in an SIV-infected immunosuppressed rhesus monkey.
Although Mycobacterium simiae was identified and classified more than three decades ago, only a few cases are mentioned in the current literature. After experimental simian immunodeficiency virus infection, a 9-year-old female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) developed progressive immunosuppression and gastrointestinal disease very similar to the clinical and pathomorphologic features of Johne's disease, which is caused by M. paratuberculosis. Acid-fast-positive bacteria reacted immunohistochemically with antibodies against M. paratuberculosis and M. bovis but were not useful for differentiation because of a high degree of cross-reactivity. In contrast to immunohistochemistry and histopathology, biochemical methods and cycle sequencing analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA identified M. simiae as the disease-causing pathogen. This case demonstrates the importance of molecular biological methods for the diagnosis of M. simiae infection in monkeys.
Didier
A
A
Abteilung Tiermedizin und Primatenhaltung, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Göttingen, Germany. adidier@www.dpz.gwdg.de
Mätz-Rensing
K
K
Kuhn
E M
EM
Richter
E
E
Kaup
F J
FJ
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016867:Immunocompromised Host / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000737:chemistry; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000472:pathogenicity
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S