Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) in a pregnant baboon (Papio cynocephalus).
BACKGROUND
Old World monkeys are considered more susceptible to tuberculosis (TB) than New World monkeys. Several cases of TB in baboons are described in the literature. The data regarding baboon reaction to the tuberculin skin test (TST) are controversial. Some authors described anergy in this species, while the others documented a positive reaction.


METHODS
An 8-year-old clinically healthy pregnant female baboon (Papio cynocephalus anubis) developed positive TST after 3 years of negative tests in captivity while not pregnant. Thoracic radiographs demonstrated three nodular densities in the lung.


RESULTS
Histological examination of tracheobronchial lymph nodes revealed multiple coalescing pyogranulomas filled with caseonecrotic debris and mineralized foci with numerous large foreign body-type and Langhans-type multinucleated giant cells. The bacterial culture contained a slow growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of a positive TST in a wild caught, pregnant baboon with latent infection after 3 years in captivity.
Martino
M
M
Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Hubbard
G B
GB
Schlabritz-Loutsevitch
N
N
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D005260:Female; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis; D048548:Papio cynocephalus; D011247:Pregnancy; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*