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Impetigo is a bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the epidermis with crusting or bullae caused by Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., or both. A 14-yr-old red-tailed monkey ( Cercopithecus ascanius) presented with recurrent scabbing and ulceration under the nares over an 8-yr period. Repeated cultures and biopsy samples led to a presumptive diagnosis of impetigo, later confirmed on necropsy. Multiple antibiotic regimens were employed with varying success during multiple episodes, while lesions resolved on their own at other times. This condition has not been previously reported in a nonhuman primate, although it is not uncommon in humans.

A 25-yr-old Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana) with a 1.5-yr history of chronic colitis and diarrhea was found to have disseminated granulomatous disease with intralesional acid fast bacilli. Bacilli were identified as Mycobacterium genavense by polymerase chain reaction, sequencing of the 16S-23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer (ITS) gene, and mycolic acid analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography. Mycobacterium genavense is a common cause of mycobacteriosis in free-ranging and captive birds. In addition, recognition of opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients is increasing. Disease manifestations of M. genavense are similar to Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and include fever, wasting, and diarrhea with disseminated disease. Similar clinical signs and lesions were observed in this monkey. Mycobacterium genavense should be considered as a differential for disseminated mycobacterial disease in nonhuman primates as this agent can mimic MAC and related mycobacteria.

A 23-year-old captive-bred red-tailed guenon (Cercopithecus ascanius) with a brief history of inappetence, lethargy, and seizures was submitted for necropsy. On postmortem examination, multiple cryptococcomas were identified in brain and heart. Cryptococcus neoformans organisms were also identified microscopically in kidney, eye, and pancreas. Fungal yeast formed rare pseudohyphae. The histologic diagnosis of cryptococcosis was confirmed by a positive test for C. neoformans antigen in a serum sample. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed that macrophages were the principal inflammatory cell in brain lesions and often contained phagocytosed yeast. As disseminate cryptococcosis is often associated with immune suppression, serology and immunohistochemical staining for simian immunodeficiency virus were performed but showed no evidence of SIV infection.

Human beings are thought to be unique amongst the primates in their capacity to produce rapid changes in the shape of their vocal tracts during speech production. Acoustically, vocal tracts act as resonance chambers, whose geometry determines the position and bandwidth of the formants. Formants provide the acoustic basis for vowels, which enable speakers to refer to external events and to produce other kinds of meaningful communication. Formant-based referential communication is also present in non-human primates, most prominently in Diana monkey alarm calls. Previous work has suggested that the acoustic structure of these calls is the product of a non-uniform vocal tract capable of some degree of articulation. In this study we test this hypothesis by providing morphological measurements of the vocal tract of three adult Diana monkeys, using both radiography and dissection. We use these data to generate a vocal tract computational model capable of simulating the formant structures produced by wild individuals. The model performed best when it combined a non-uniform vocal tract consisting of three different tubes with a number of articulatory manoeuvres. We discuss the implications of these findings for evolutionary theories of human and non-human vocal production.