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Zoonoses Acquired from Pet Primates

Primate Info Net: Zoonoses Acquired From Pet Primates Zoonoses Acquired From Pet Primates David M. Renquist, D.V.M., M.A. and Robert A. Whitney, Jr., D.V.M., M.S. [Source: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 17 (1) 219-240, 1987. With author's permission.] Nonhuman primates are susceptible to many biological agents that infect human beings but are not infectious to lower animals. The value of this susceptibility in biomedical research is well known; however, the infected nonhuman primate is a potential hazard to the research personnel in contact with it. This hazard is even greater for the typical pet primate owner, who is unfamiliar with the pathogenesis of disease. This article reviews the most important infectious diseases that are found in the pet nonhuman primate and present potential hazards to human beings. Use of a monkey or ape as a pet should be strongly discouraged. Although a current owner may be difficult to convince, a person considering such a pet can generally be dissuaded. Most owners lack the knowledge, devotion, and ambition necessary to prevent disease transmission and maintain the health and welfare of the primate. Owners usually obtain the primate as a curiosity or whim but lose interest rapidly as the problems of puberty, nutrition, sanitation, and unpleasant habits appear. In addition, the disease hazards to be discussed here far outweigh any advantages of keeping the "cute little monkey." Therefore, veterinarians should diplomatically discourage the practice of keeping a pet primate. Fortunately, importation of primates for exclusive use as pets is now prohibited by law; however, animals bred at wildlife parks, roadside zoos, educational facilities, and (rarely) research facilities find their way into the hands of pet owners. There are more than 244 species of living primates, including the great apes through the monkeys and prosimians such as lemurs, pottos, galagos, tarsiers, and tupais. The groups principally seen in the United States are described

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