Antimicrobial Use for and Resistance of Zoonotic Bacteria Recovered from Nonhuman Primates.

As a growing threat to human and animal health, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a central public-health topic. Largescale surveillance systems, such as the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), are now established to monitor and provide guidance regarding AMR, but comprehensive literature on AMR among NHP is sparse. This study provides data regarding current antimicrobial use strategies and the prevalence of AMR in zoonotic bacteria recovered from NHP within biomedical research institutions. We focused on 4 enteric bacteria: Shigella flexneri, Yersinia enterocolitica, Y. pseudotuberculosis, and Campylobacter jejuni. Fifteen veterinarians, 7 biomedical research institutions, and 4 diagnostic laboratories participated, providing susceptibility test results from January 2012 through April 2015. Veterinarians primarily treated cases caused by S. flexneri, Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis with enrofloxacin but treated C. jejuni cases with azithromycin and tylosin. All isolates were susceptible to the associated primary antimicrobial but often showed resistance to others. Specifically, S. flexneri isolates frequently were resistant to erythromycin (87.5%), doxycycline (73.7%), and tetracycline (38.3%); Y. enterocolitica isolates to ampicillin (100%) and cefazolin (93.6%); and C. jejuni isolates to methicillin (99.5%) and cephalothin (97.5%). None of the 58 Y. pseudotuber-culosis isolates was resistant to any tested antimicrobial. Notably, resistance patterns were not shared between this study's NHP isolates and human isolates presented by NARMS. Our findings indicate that zoonotic bacteria from NHP diagnostic samples are broadly susceptible to the antimicrobials used to treat the clinical infections. These results can help veterinarians ensure effective antimicrobial therapy and protect staff by minimizing occupational risk.

Chromobacterium violaceum infections in 13 non-human primates.

BACKGROUND: Recently, an Indian-origin macaque was found dead and Chromobacterium violaceum was isolated from the skin wound, and hepatic and pulmonary abscesses. METHODS: By searching the database, a total of thirteen cases of C. violaceum infection in pigtail macaques (n = 8), rhesus macaques (n = 4), and one baboon were identified from 2001 to 2010 at Tulane National Primate Research Center. Medical records were reviewed for breed, sex, age, clinical findings, treatment, outcome, bacteriology, and gross and histological findings. RESULTS: Seven pigtail macaques and one Indian-origin rhesus macaque died of chromobacterial septicemia. All chromobacterial septicemic pigtail macaques were adult with higher incidence in female. Hepatic abscess and thrombosis were typical findings along with pulmonary abscess and thrombosis, renal venous thromboembolism, and necrosuppurative pleuritis, peritonitis, splenitis, myocarditis, pericarditis, and meningoencephalitis. Skin wound, uterine infection, and oral and respiratory exposure were considered the points of entry for these animals. CONCLUSIONS: This represents the first report of chromobacteriosis in pigtail, rhesus macaque, and baboon. Our experience suggests that chromobacterial infections may be more common in non-human primates than previously recognized.

Experimental infection of rhesus macaques with Streptococcus pneumoniae: a possible model for vaccine assessment.

BACKGROUND: We explored the possibility of using normal adult rhesus macaques for the preclinical assessment of safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of newly developed vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection of the lung. METHODS: Our primary objective was to determine whether an intra-bronchial inoculum of at least 10(6)S. pneumoniae colony-forming units, or one as high as 10(8)-10(9) organisms, could detectably survive in rhesus macaques for a period longer than 1-2 weeks. If so, we hypothesized, it would be possible to observe signs of pneumonia commonly observed in humans, and discriminate between vaccinated/protected animals and controls. Infection was detectable in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids 3-5 weeks post-inoculation. RESULTS: The clinical course of disease mimicked aspects of that of human pneumococcal pneumonia. Signs of inflammation typical of the disease in humans, such as elevated concentrations of neutrophils and of pro-inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were also observed. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the utility of this model to assess the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of newly developed S. pneumoniae vaccines.

Assessment of the nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of rhesus macaques: moraxella, Neisseria, haemophilus, and other genera.

The nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of healthy rhesus macaques was surveyed for the presence of Neisseria and Haemophilus species, as well as Moraxella catarrhalis. M. catarrhalis was found both in healthy rhesus macaques and in possibly immunocompromised rhesus macaques. Several Haemophilus spp. that are part of the normal nasopharyngeal bacterial flora of humans were found in many animals; these Haemophilus species included H. parahaemolyticus, H. segnis, and H. parainfluenzae. While Haemophilus influenzae was not identified, it is possible that the identification of H. influenzae types may have been thwarted by the growth of less fastidious species. A number of animals harbored Neisseria spp. such as N. sicca. However, Neisseria meningitidis was not found. In summary, it appears as though the rhesus macaque may be used as a model for M. catarrhalis infections. Moreover, in view of the susceptibility of macaques to organisms of the Haemophilus and Neisseria genera, it is possible that these animals may also accurately model nontypeable H. influenzae and N. meningitidis infections.