Facial and ocular thermal mapping in black-and-gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya) by infrared thermography: An ex situ study.

BACKGROUND: This study used infrared thermography (IRT) for mapping the facial and ocular temperatures of howler monkeys, to determine parameters for the diagnosis of febrile processes. There are no published IRT study in this species. METHODS: Were evaluated images of a group of monkeys kept under human care at Sorocaba Zoo (São Paulo, Brazil). The images were recorded during 1 year, in all seasons. Face and eye temperatures were evaluated. RESULTS: There are statistically significant differences in face and eye temperatures. Mean values and standard deviations for facial and ocular temperature were respectively: 33.0°C (2.1) and 36.5°C (1.9) in the summer; 31.5°C (4.5) and 35.3°C (3.6) in the autumn; 30.0°C (4.3) and 35.6°C (3.9) in the winter; 30.8°C (2.9) and 35.5°C (2.1) in the spring. CONCLUSIONS: The IRT was effective to establish a parameter for facial and ocular temperatures of black-and-gold howler monkeys kept under human care.

MYCOLICIBACTERIUM FORTUITUM INFECTION IN EX SITU EMERALD TREE BOA (Corallus batesii).

Emerald tree boas (Corallus batesii) are boids that in situ occurs in forested habitats in the Amazon Basin. The mycobacterial species can infect reptiles but the species Mycolicibacterium fortuitum was identified only in feces samples of ex situ Python regius and was isolated from granulomatous lesions of an ex situ Iguana iguana when was still part of the genus Mycobacterium. This article aims to report a mycobacteria infection case in a female Corallus batesii kept under human care. The animal presented apathy and 2 months of anorexia, being found dead. The necropsy revealed presence of tracheal and pulmonary nodules besides multifocal, bacterial, granulomatous pneumonia. After Fite-Faraco histochemical staining, immunohistochemistry, semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genetic sequencing the Mycolicibacterium fortuitum complex was diagnosed with 99.54% of nucleotide similarity. This mycobacterial species was already pointed out as an important nosocomial pathogen and more studies are necessary to explore their zoonotic potential.