ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cardiomyopathies have been reported in many primates. They may result from an inflammatory response to an infectious agent, nutritional deficiency, familial-genetic inheritance or toxic agents, but in many cases they are idiopathic. METHODS: A De Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) presented with weight loss and inappetence. Physical examination, blood collection and diagnostic imaging and an electrocardiogram were performed. RESULTS: Radiographs and echocardiogram revealed pleural effusion with partially collapsed lungs, cardiomegaly, and reduced myocardial contractility from myocardial failure. CONCLUSIONS: Necropsy revealed pulmonary infarction, subsequent to heart failure from dilated cardiomyopathy.
Subject(s)
Animals, Laboratory , Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/diagnosis , Cercopithecus , Monkey Diseases/diagnosis , Animals , Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/pathology , Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/physiopathology , Fatal Outcome , Male , Monkey Diseases/pathology , Monkey Diseases/physiopathologyABSTRACT
The inflexibility of existing serological techniques for detection of rabies in surveillance constrains the benefit to be gained from many current control strategies. We analysed 304 serum samples from Tanzanian dogs for the detection of rabies antibodies in a pseudotype assay using lentiviral vectors bearing the CVS-11 envelope glycoprotein. Compared with the widely used gold standard fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation assay, a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 94.4% with a strong correlation of antibody titres (r=0.915) were observed with the pseudotype assay. To increase the assay's surveillance specificity in Africa we incorporated the envelope glycoprotein of local viruses, Lagos bat virus, Duvenhage virus or Mokola virus and also cloned the lacZ gene to provide a reporter element. Neutralisation assays using pseudotypes bearing these glycoproteins reveal that they provide a greater sensitivity compared to similar live virus assays and will therefore allow a more accurate determination of the distribution of these highly pathogenic infections and the threat they pose to human health. Importantly, the CVS-11 pseudotypes were highly stable during freeze-thaw cycles and storage at room temperature. These results suggest the proposed pseudotype assay is a suitable option for undertaking lyssavirus serosurveillance in areas most affected by these infections.
