Absence of naturally acquired tetanus antitoxin in the free-ranging Cayo Santiago rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Abstract

Tetanus is enzootic in the free-ranging rhesus monkey colony on Cayo Santiago. The disease accounts for 25% of all mortalities in the population. The high prevalence of tetanus provided a unique opportunity to study the potential roles of geophagia, wounding, and clinical tetanus infections on the development of naturally acquired tetanus antitoxin in rhesus macaques. Eighty-six unvaccinated monkeys, including six that recovered from tetanus, were serosurveyed using a mouse toxin neutralization test. None of the animals had detectable antitoxin titers (less than 0.001 AU/ml), suggesting that natural immunity to tetanus is either rare or nonexistent in the Cayo Santiago colony.

• Authors: M J Kessler, R G Rawlins
• Journal: Journal of medical primatology (J Med Primatol) Vol. 13 Issue 6 Pg. 353-7 ( 1984) ISSN: 0047-2565 [Print] Denmark
• PMID: 6520863 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Tetanus Antitoxin

Topics

• Animals
• Guinea Pigs
• Humans
• Immunity, Innate
• Macaca (immunology)
• Macaca mulatta (immunology)
• Tetanus (immunology)
• Tetanus Antitoxin (immunology)