A retrospective analysis of the tuberculin skin test reactions of a single source population of Mauritian Macaca fascicularis held in quarantine during 2017.

A published range of reactions to the tuberculin skin test (TST) using mammalian (human) old tuberculin (MOT) in a population of Mauritius origin Macaca fascicularis in US laboratory animal medicine does not exist. The objectives of this report are to quantify the reactions among juvenile, adolescent, and male adult cynomolgus macaques and to provide the laboratory animal medicine practitioner with a reference range of reactions to MOT in Mauritian juvenile macaques. Monkeys in a US foreign animal quarantine must be tested negative for mycobacterial infection including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) using MOT as required by the CDC Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. The TST relies on visual observation post injection of an individual animal's reaction or nonreaction. During 2017, 933 Mauritius origin macaques from one supplier were quarantined in nine separate cohorts in our facility. 848 or > 90% of the animals were juveniles between 1.5 to 3 years of age, comprised of 425 males and 423 females. The population also included 46 adolescents (21 males, 25 females) and 39 adult males. A total of 33 TST sets were performed on the nine cohorts, resulting in 3418 individual TSTs being administered. 1595 (46.6%) injections were made in juvenile males and 1529 (44.7%) in juvenile females. A total of 172 reactions to the TST were recorded at the final assessment completed at the 72-hour post injection time point from all animal ages and sexes. 162 reactions (94.2% of all reactions) occurred in juvenile animals, consisting of 96 bruises (59.3% of all juvenile reactions) in males and 58 bruises (35.8% of all juvenile reactions) in females. Bruising was the most common reaction in juvenile animals and in all animals regardless of age or sex. Bruising occurred within all 33 TST sets ranging from a low of 0% to a high of 30% in male juveniles and a low of 0% to a high of 17% in female juveniles. Bruising was the only finding in the adolescents and adult males. Erythema was observed only in juvenile animals, two males and three females. Generalized eyelid edema was observed only in juvenile animals, one male and one female. These animals had concurrent erythema in the affected eyelid. Animals with generalized eyelid edema and erythema are considered suspect for active tuberculosis and warrant further diagnostics. In this report, the most observed reaction among all age groups and sexes was bruising. Erythema and edema were rarely observed. Only juvenile animals were observed with either erythema, edema or both.

A naturally occurring outbreak of tuberculosis in a group of imported cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).

This case report describes the diagnosis of tuberculosis (caused primarily by Mycobacterium bovis) in a group of newly imported Chinese origin cynomolgus monkeys. We also describe the use of sedation to enhance the accuracy of evaluation of the intrapalpebral tuberculin skin test using the mammalian old tuberculin reagent and report the first known diagnosis of Mycobacterium paraffinicum in a nonhuman primate. By 48 h after injection during the second tuberculin skin test, 6 of the 80 macaques had developed eyelid reactions ranging from mild (grade 1) to severe (grade 4). Given the range and severity of reactions, we suspected an outbreak of tuberculosis in the group. Because of the nature of the reactions, we sedated the animals at the 72-h evaluation to more closely observe and then palpate the injected eyelid. Evaluation of unsedated animals revealed 22 with a reaction to mammalian old tuberculin. We confirmed these 22 cases and identified an additional 11 animals with reactions when the monkeys were sedated. Mycobacterial culture of tissue from 6 macaques with reactions confirmed M. bovis in 3 animals. In addition, 1 of these 3 animals was culture-positive for both M. bovis and M. paraffinicum, and another was culture-positive for M. avium complex only. The addition of sedation to facilitate visual inspection and then palpation of the injected eyelid of these macaques increased the accuracy of evaluation and understanding of the number and severity of reactions to tuberculin skin testing.

Evaluation of a novel endoluminal vascular occlusion device in a porcine model: early and late follow-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of a new vascular occlusion device (VOD) in a preclinical controlled study versus embolization coils. METHODS: The Biomerix VOD was made from a biodurable porous polyurethane matrix in the shape of a cylinder measuring 1.5 cm long by 6.0 mm wide. Thirty-three swine were selected to undergo embolization of a 3 to 5-mm-diameter iliac artery using either a single VOD (27 animals) or sufficient Cook fibered stainless steel coils to achieve angiographic occlusion (6 controls). Test animals were assigned to undergo angiography at 1 week (n=11), 1 month (n=6), 3 months (n=6), or 6 months (n=4). Two control animals were assigned to angiographic follow-up at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months. Test and control animals were euthanized at each time point to explant occluded vessels for histological analysis. Study endpoints were device utilization, time to occlusion, postdeployment migration, and persistent angiographic occlusion at 7, 30, 90, and 180 days. RESULTS: One VOD was deployed in each test animal, whereas a mean 3.3+/-0.8 coils were needed to achieve angiographic occlusion in the 6 controls (p<0.001). The time to occlusion was significantly shorter with the VOD (1.46+/-0.73 versus 5.83+/-1.60 minutes for the coils; p<0.001). There was no evidence of recanalization or filling defects at the site of VOD deployment, while filling defects were seen in 3 of 6 coil-treated controls. The VOD arm showed superior angiographic occlusion versus coils at the 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month angiographic follow-up time points. Histological evaluation showed that the VOD was equivalent to the embolization coils at the 1-week (n=6) and 1-month (n=6) endpoint (100% luminal occlusion). In the 3-month group (n=6), the VOD showed 95% to 100% luminal occlusion versus 90% to 95% in the control animals. In the 6-month group, VOD showed 85% to 95% occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: The Biomerix VOD appears highly effective and reliable, resulting in significantly faster and longer lasting occlusion compared with fibered stainless steel embolization coils.