Health and Disease Control
Written by Ivan Crab
Introduction
Disease and Care
Human Health Care
Primate Health Care
Diseases
Parasites
Bacteria
Viruses
Primates breeders and the primate institutes recognize the fact that profitable breeding depends upon primate health. The observance of a few common sense rules will contribute to maintaining a favorable status.
The primate keeper is the key in maintaining the health of is animal .
Since primates are subject to many of the same diseases as humans the premises should be isolated as much as possible.
The cages should be well constructed to give indoor and outdoor possibilities and to lend themselves to daily clean-up and disinfecting. The cages should be suitable for rotation in case of diseases.The summation of diagnoses over a period of time will inform the primate owner as to the principal troubles , by making daily observations on the health and care conditions , by keeping records.....
Purchasing primates
Always be certain that you purchase primates only from reputable suppliers , they may not have been obtained legally or could be ill. This is a world problem, monkeys may be smuggled across the borders and are then offered for sale as captive-bred .
Disease can be difficult to identify in the early stages, so if you are in any doubt about the condition , the origin ... of a animal , then it is best not to purchase .
One of the most important measures to be taken to protect the health is the quarantining of your newly received primate .
WARNING 1: Buying just Imported Primates, that just finish there legal quarantine, means nothing , the rooms of quarantine at the importers or traders are not a GUARANTY , when one quarantine is finish they start with a other one , and there are various pathogens that are still not cured and/or detected before the next imported group animals enter the same quarantine rooms , different species of animals ... are in quarantine in the same place - building ... also periods of quarantines are forced in the sense that old and new arrivals are mix-up ................... "how is how !!!!" .
WARNING 2 : Buying Primates from a trader or in a shop , again the same GUARANTY problem appear , ask the vendor to provide you : ( The origin documents from the animal) -(a breeders or import attestation )-(a health document "vaccination - medication - quarantine - age...ect " written by a vet. )-(if it is necessary contact the vet., the breeder , the previous owner .... ) , don’t buy the animals if you are not provided with this documents . Look around are the cages clean - are there not ill animals present , is this place maintained in a proper way ....????
WARNING 3 : At home, all new arrivals have to be in observation quarantine during a minimum time of 30 days and better 90 days at there new premises , before they can be in contact with the existing colony , and if not so : you have to put all your colony in quarantine observation , and control all the existing animals as you control the new ones >>>( This is only possible for people that owned 2-3 animals , however the risk stays the same ).
WARNING 4 : If you have any disease in your collection , you will have to separated the animal(s) contaminated , do not wait if so , install this animal (s) in a separated room and put this animal(s) under strong vet. control , ask information’s from : other owners , breeders , zoos , primate research centers ... they will be glad to help you, try to be as complete it is possible wen you inform people with your case ( species - age - food - husbandry - ...) . Even If your animal(s) is/are dead try to find out the reasons , send the bodies to a diagnostic laboratory , it can be important, not only for your other animal(s) , but you can help research , other owners , breeders , .....
With Primates you have to be aware to keep strong hygiene practices .
People with signs of infectouese disease , pregnant women , kinds under 15 years should not be allowed to take care of Primates , No one with evidence of active disease must be allowed to enter in contact with Primates .
With a min of 6 month and a max of 12 month interval a human heath care program should be considered from all Primate owners .
Some conditions like food , hygiene , husbandry , have to be permanently under control , it is difficult to estimate the risk of diseases developments case by case , disease are developing them all over the world , and some times we don’t know the raison or origin , prevention by a good hygiene, adequate food, and a correct husbandry , is successful in most of the case .
- Most Primates originate in warm climates :
- 15 and 30 degrees for old world primates
- 20 and 32 degrees for neo-tropical primates- The behavior and social organization of the Primates you own must be taken into consideration .
- Incorrect nutrition is a common cause of disease .
- bedding , should be easily replaced .
- drinking and feeding devices need a daily hygiene .
- all the other tolls , toys , accessories used need a daily hygiene .
Your primates should be daily check , abnormal behavior such as:
slow locomotion , injuries , loose faeces , refuse of feeding , refuse of drinking , ... should be used as a indicatorIf any of this INDICATORS is present :
You have two solutions
1) Changes in their environment is needed .
2) The animal is ill
Some disease are transmitted from primates to humans : for example herpes simiae - herpes tamarinus - pox - hepatitis - measles - rubella - influenza type - ....
Some disease are transmitted from humans to Primates : for example herpes hominis -smallpox - influenza virus - measles - mumps - polio - rubella - hepatitis-...
Some disease are transmitted from other animals to Primates : for example pox (mammals) - sendai virus (rodents) - encephalomyocarditis (cockroaches) - rabies (mammals) - pseudotubercolusis ( birds - rodents) -...
Some disease are transmitted from Primate to Primate : therefore , different species should not be housed in the vicinity of each other but in different rooms for example : herpes tamarinus - herpes saimiri - monkey pox - ...
- Tikes, mites, flees : are rare in Primate health but some isolated animals may suffer from it , if so use insecticides for dogs or cats depending the size of you monkey ( neo-tropical monkeys cat products - others dog products )
- Helmimths : they cause enteritis , peritonitis , anal irritations , digestive problems . Cockroaches humans , and domestic animals are the host . Piperazine is used as prevention and cure .
- Pinworms, tapeworms, nematodes, cestodes .... should be controlled - prevent - cured with piperamizine - fenbendazole -mebendazole-dichlorophen or any commercial product used for pet animals , or humans
- Protozoa : "flagellates " they cause toxoplasmosis , diarrhea .... clinical signs are not specific , they can survive in the environment for long periods before they cause problems , therefore it is important to control your monkeys and to prevent flagellates with giving metronidazole cures ( 2 - 3 times a year during 6 days )
BACTERIA :
- The Salmonella spp , they cause lethargy , diarrhea , rapidly fatal , but may be cured with antibiotics if not to late .
- Tuberculosis : neo-tropical monkeys are less susceptible than the others , be care with resent imported OLD WORLD PRIMATES , this bacterial infection runs a course of more than six month and can remain occult until it becomes fatal . Visible diagnosis may be difficult.... pneumonia , loss of weight are the biggest symptoms .
Treatment is inadvisable some case are terminal and others are possible to be help .
In any case when a primate with tuberculosis is detected it should be immediately be transported to a special institute , and not be kept in the vicinity of humans or other animals .- Pseudotuberculosis or paratubercolisis (yersiniosis) Birds , rodents are the host of this infection , animals kept in outdoor cages are subject to this FATAL healthiness , most of the time wen the infection is detected the whole colonies may be contaminated !!!!! beware to wash the vegetables and fruits you feed to your animals . Visible diagnosis are loss of weight, acute death of a animal in a colony . Treatment is inadvisable some broad spectrum of antibiotics may help if it is still possible to be help
VIRUSES :
- Hepatitis : A - B hepatitis can be transmitted from human to primates , and from primates to humans , human vaccination against hepatitis B should be considered for people at risk , importers , trader ,zoo keepers , breeders ....
- Myxovirus (common cold ) it may lead to severe respiratory healthiness , c vitamins and antibiotic therapy may be useful .
- Herpes viruses ...this are the most dangerous infection you can get in your collection . Some of this viruses are usually self - limited to one host , but some or mostly of the time they can be fatal for other species, generally the host is carrying the virus with any health problem , or only small lesion and mostly of the time not fatal for the host .
- Herpes hominis : host humans , it can develop serious diseases in neo-tropical monkeys and apes , encephalitis and conjunctivitis by marmosets and tamarins it can be fatal .
- Herpes saimiri : host saimiris , it is fatal for marmosets , tamarins , owl monkeys , titis ,... more than 70% squirrel monkeys carry this virus , and do not have any clinical sign ....!!! it is transmitted by contact , oral , faeces ....
- Herpes tamarinus : host saimiris in a subclinical way , it is fatal for marmosets , tamarins, owl monkeys , titis,... it is transmitted by contact , oral , faeces ....
- Herpes simia : host macaques , this may be fatal for apes and humans , it is transmitted by bites, scratches and "splashing" of bodily fluids into the eyes , clinical signs are generally ulcers , this healthiness is rarely serious and dangerous for non-humans primates .
- Herpes ateles : host ateles , fatal for marmosets , tamarins , owl monkeys , titits,...
- Other herpes viruses are present in monkeys, apes ......... gorila herpes , chimp herpes , owl monkey herpes , ..
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