Careers in Veterinary Medicine: Primate Medicine

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Careers in Veterinary Medicine Primate Medicine
Gwendolyn Maginnis, DVM
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How I ended up in Primate Medicine

• University of California, Davis
• California Regional Primate Research Center
• Veterinary Technician
• Senior Externships
• Los Angeles Zoo
• Woodland Park Zoo

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Jobs in Primate Medicine

• National Primate Research Center Program
• Universities
• Contract Research Organizations
• Import Facilities and Commercial Breeding
  Colonies
• Military

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California National Primate Research Center
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Oregon National Primate Research Center
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Working with Monkeys
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Monkeys at ONPRC

• Population 4,255 nonhuman primates
• Rhesus macaques (3,787)?
• Japanese macaques (330)?
• Cynomolgus macaques (113)?
• Baboons (14)?
• Vervets (11)?

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Primate Taxonomy
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NHP Housing
Over half of the monkeys at ONPRC live in social
groups
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Sheltered Small Group Housing
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Caged Housing
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Macaque Zoonotic Concerns

• Viral
• Cercopithecine Herpesvirus-1 (a.k.a. Herpes B
  Virus)?
• Bacterial
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Campylobacter spp.
• Giardia
• Shigella

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Herpes B Virus

• Common pathogen in monkeys of the genus Macaca.
  Similar to herpes simplex in humans
• 1-3 of infected macaques shed virus at any given
  time and will likely not have any evidence of
  disease.
• Causes a rare but potentially fatal rapid
  ascending paralysis in humans
• Transmission via inoculation with potentially
  infected body fluids and tissues (bite, scratch,
  needle stick, eye splash, etc)?

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Working Safely with Macaques

• Personal Protective Equipment
• Overgarment to cover street clothes, uniforms, or
  scrub suits
• Face mask
• Nitrile gloves and/or similar gloves
• Eye protection- safety glasses or face shield ?
• Animals are typically sedated for all exams and
  treatments
• Ketamine HCl 10mg/kg

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Macaque Zoonotic Concerns

• Viral
• Cercopithecine Herpesvirus-1 (a.k.a. Herpes B
  Virus)?
• Bacterial
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Campylobacter spp.
• Giardia
• Shigella

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Tuberculosis

• Old world primates are exquisitely susceptible to
  TB
• Current treatments are not 100 effective at
  eliminating the bacteria from the body
• Current vaccines are not 100 effective at
  providing protection against TB
• TB surveillance and elimination of any positive
  animals is the primary means for protecting the
  colony

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Tuberculosis Surveillance Programs

• Regular testing of established monkey population
• Quarterly or biannually
• Regular testing of all human personnel
• Biannually or annually
• Quarantine and frequent testing of new animals
• Every other week for up to 5 negative tests

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Tuberculosis Skin Test (TST)?

• The test is performed in the eyelid to facilitate
  easy and accurate reading without sedation.
• Test agent is Mammalian Old Tuberculin (M.O.T.)?
• The injection should be given in the middle of
  the eyelid, just above the eyelashes.
• A successful intradermal injection will result in
  a bleb, or a raised blister-like structure, on
  the eyelid.

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TB Test evaluation

• The test site is to be checked by trained
  personnel at 24, 48, and 72 hours after
  injection.
• The eyelid is evaluated for redness, bruising, or
  swelling.
• Reactions are graded on a scale of 1-5 depending
  on severity

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Veterinary Care Program
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What are the responsibilities of a primate
veterinarian?

• Clinical care
• Ensure health and well-being of colony of over
  4,000 NHPs
• Preventive care
• Weight watchers
• Geriatrics
• Annual physicals
• Quarantine
• Research Support

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What are the responsibilities of a primate
veterinarian?

• Administrative
• Hiring and managing veterinary personnel
• Hospital management
• Oversight of husbandry program
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• Teaching
• Technicians
• Veterinary students

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Veterinary Care Program

• Indoor animals
• Daily observation
• Morning health report
• Open clinical case
• Technician triage
• Veterinary assessment
• Follow-up

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Veterinary Care Program

• Outdoor animals
• Daily observation
• Sick animals are brought in to the hospital
• Veterinary evaluation
• Emergency and critical care
• Physical Exam
• Bloodwork
• IV fluid therapy
• Wound management
• Hospitalization for on-going care
• Evaluate for release

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Common Clinical Problems in Monkeys

• Infectious Diarrhea
• 50-60 Clinical Caseload
• Endemic pathogens poor hygiene
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Fluid Therapy
• Dehydration with electrolyte
• loss
• Rate 30ml/kg/hr for 3 hours
• Restraint
• Zoonotic

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Campylobacter

• Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli
• C. coli is only clinically significant in infants
  and juveniles
• Microaerophilic
• Special culture requirements
• Heat-labile, cholera-like toxin
• Symptoms
• Diarrhea, dysentery
• Abdominal cramping
• Dehydration

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Shigella

• Shigella flexneri
• Closely related to Escherichia coli and
  Salmonella
• Produces Shiga toxin
• Clinical signs
• Severe dysenteric diarrhea
• Severe abdominal cramping
• Nausea
• Fever
• Dehydration

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Giardia

• Giardia lamblia
• Flagellated, cyst-forming protozoan parasite
• Symptoms
• Copious watery diarrhea
• Excessive GI gas

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Balantidium

• Balantidium coli
• Cyst-forming ciliated protozoan
• Symptoms
• Diarrhea
• Chronic infections occasionally seen with immune
  supression
• NHP

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Trichuris

• Trichuris trichiura
• Human whipworm
• Symptoms
• Typically asymptomatic
• Occasional diarrhea
• Treatment
• Fenbendazole, Pyrantel pamoate

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Clinical Problems contd

• Trauma
• Typically associated with social housing
• 30-40 of Clinical Caseload
• Common Wounds
• Lacerations (K-9)?
• Digit Fractures
• Tail base deglove
• Hip flap wound

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Special Considerations for Wound Management in
Monkeys

• Opposable thumbs
• Skilled at suture removal
• More bandaging
• Skilled at bandage removal
• Heavy duty bandaging, no padding or gauze exposed
• Social Considerations
• Desire to return patient to social group ASAP
• May dictate suturing when healing by second
  intention is otherwise indicated

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Rhabdomyolysis

• Severe trauma with significant
• crush injury
• Myoglobin is released from
• damaged muscle cells
• Myoglobin will precipitate out in the kidneys
  under acidic conditions
• Tubular blockage and back pressure
• Direct effect on renal tubular cells
• Renal failure due to renal tubular necrosis is a
  likely sequela if appropriate IV fluid therapy is
  not given

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Rhabdomyolysis- management

• IV fluid therapy
• Crystalloids
• Hypertonic saline
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Diuresis
• Analgesia
• Wound management
• Antimicrobial therapy
• Nutritional support

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Clinical Problems in Monkeys

• Reproduction
• Endometriosis
• Dystocia
• Rhesus typically
• give birth at night
• Neonatal care
• Orphans
• Ill thrift

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Clinical Problems contd

• Geriatrics
• Amyloidosis
• GI, liver, kidney
• Intestinal Adenocarcinoma
• Spinal Abnormalities
• Kyphosis
• Degenerative joint disease
• Type II Diabetes

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Primate Medicine as a Career Pros

• Resources to practice the best medicine
• In high demand
• Competitive salary and benefits
• Animals are on-site
• Access for treatment and follow-up
• Working with sedated patients
• The research is always presenting new challenges
  to the clinician and helps keep skill at the
  cutting edge
• Opportunity to pursue professional/research
  interests

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Primate Medicine as a Career Cons

• Controversial
• Working with caged animals on research projects
• Zoonotic Concerns

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More information. . .

• Primate Information Network
• pin.primate.wisc.edu
• Association of Primate Veterinarians
• www.primatevets.org
• American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
• www.aclam.org
• www.aclam.org/print/externships_list_2007-02.pdf

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