Diagnosis and Treatment of Trichospirura leptostoma Infection in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Trichospirura leptostoma is a spirurid nematode that inhabits the pancreatic ducts of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, and other New World primates. This parasite was diagnosed in members of this species at the Marmoset Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee colony after their importation from multiple colonies outside the United States. Animals with few parasites in the pancreas had few tissue changes, whereas those with many parasites had moderate to severe fibrosis replacing exocrine tissue. Trichospirura leptostoma can cause chronic pancreatitis, resulting in subclinical to clinical pancreatic insufficiency and secondary malnutrition. Clinical signs of pancreatic insufficiency in affected marmosets included weight loss (despite good appetite) and increased fecal volume. Because earlier reports did not mention treatments, experimental therapeutic regimens were attempted to eliminate infections from the marmosets. In the clinical studies, different doses and treatment periods with ivermectin and fenbendazole were evaluated for therapeutic efficacy. Fenbendazole given daily at a dosage of 50 mg/kg of body weight by gavage for 14 days was the most effective treatment (PI 0.052). Control of the cockroach vector, as well as treatment of infected animals, is needed to prevent Trichospirura leptostoma-induced disease.

Breeding performance of captive-born cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) females: Proposed explanations for colony differences.

Successful breeding by captive-born Saguinus oedipus females has now been reported from several colonies, but a marked parity effect (ie, differences in infant survival with the number of litters produced) is usually observed; survival of infants of primiparous females is extremely low but increases with subsequent litters. This parity effect was not observed in the captive-born breeding females in the Oak Ridge Associated Universities colony, with survival of offspring of primiparous females at 58.6%. Two explanations are proposed for this difference: (1) pairing with a male having previous experience in siring and rearing offspring may improve infant survival for primiparous females; and (2) postponing mating to a later age may increase infant survival for primiparous mothers.