Pancreatitis in Two New World Monkeys

There have been few reports of pancreatitis in non-human primates, all in Old World monkeys. One case of chronic pancreatitis in a female yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus) was reported initially as a pancreatic adenocarcinoma but later was reclassified as inflammatory [6]. Two recent cases of necrotizing pancreatitis in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) had intranuclear inclusion bodies typical of adenovirus [ 131. Simian adenovirus type 3 1 was isolated from one monkey [5]. Monkey 1, an adult female spider monkey (Ateles sp.) housed for about two years in a room with two other spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus chamek and Ateles belzebuth belzebuth), had no history of illness prior to 3 days before death, when anorexia and weakness were noted. On clinical examination, the monkey was comatose and had a rectal temperature of 21.6C. Mucous membranes were pale and icteric; skin was inelastic and yellowish. Feces in the cage were formed, tarry and reduced in amount. A blood sample collected before she was killed showed leukopenia (6.6 X 103/pl) with normal relative values, erythrocyte count of 2.78 X 106/pl, hemoglobin 5.6 gm/dl, packed cell volume 19, blood urea nitrogen 100 mg/dl, total protein 4.37 g/dl and glucose 25 mg/dl. Serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, total bilirubin and serum lipase values were normal. Serum amylase was low (35 SI units). Monkey 2, an adult male squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) housed in a room with three other squirrel monkeys for about three years, had a clinical history of rhinitis, decubital ulcers