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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #306020
Title: An outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica in a captive colony of African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) in the Caribbean

Author
item SOTO, E - Ross University
item GRIFFIN, MATT - Mississippi State University
item VERMA, A - Ross University
item CASTILLO-ALCALA, F - Ross University
item BEIERSCHMITT, A - Ross University
item BEELER-MARFISI, J - Ross University
item ARAUZ, M - Ross University
item ILLANES, O - Ross University

Submitted to: Comparative Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/16/2013
Publication Date: 10/1/2013
Citation: Soto, E., Griffin, M.J., Verma, A., Castillo-Alcala, F., Beierschmitt, A., Beeler-Marfisi, J., Arauz, M., Illanes, O. 2013. An outbreak of Yersinia enterocolitica in a captive colony of African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) in the Caribbean. Comparative Medicine. 63(5):439-444.

Interpretive Summary: This manuscript describes the first isolation and characterization of Y. enterocolitica as the causative agent of fatal enteric disease in primates in the Caribbean.

Technical Abstract: Yersinia enterocolitica is a zoonotic gram-negative pathogen that causes mesenteric lymphadenitis, terminal ileitis, acute gastroenteritis, and septicemia in domestic animals and primates. In 2012, 46 captive African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) died during an outbreak of acutely fatal enteric disease over a period of 1 mo on the island of St Kitts. The affected monkeys presented with a history of mucohemorrhagic diarrhea, marked dehydration, and depression. Fifteen bacterial isolates were recovered from the spleen, liver, and lungs of affected monkeys. All isolates were identified as Y. enterocolitica by biochemical analysis and sequence comparison of the 16S rRNA gene. Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of the recovered isolates revealed homogeneity among the recovered bacteria, and all isolates gave a random amplified polymorphic DNA pattern resembling that given by genotype D under serotypes O:7,8. This outbreak represents the first isolation and characterization of Y. enterocolitica as the causative agent of fatal enteric disease in primates in the Caribbean.