Oesophagostomiasis in Feral Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Abstract

For periods of 3,6, and 12 months, 104 feral rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were on test. At the time of necropsy, 26 had caseous granulomatous lesions in the submucosa of the colon consistent with oesophagostomiasis. Five also had histologically identified granulomatous lesions without caseation of various colonic and more distant arterioles. The lesions were seen in the submucosa and subserosa of the colon, the kidney, the adventitial tissue of the prostate, the pancreas, and the heart. Presumptive evidence of the migration of the parasite was found in the adventitial tissue of the esophagus. Fragments of the larvae in arterioles and the caseous submucosa of the colon were consistent morphologically with the species Oesophagostomum. Acellular masses of what was interpreted as cuticle of a molting parasite were found in the lung. A mature female nematode was found encysted in the lung. The identity of that parasite and the cuticle has not been established.