Mycobacterium abscessus Infection in an Owl Monkey (Aotus trivirgatus)

Mycobacterium abscessus was isolated from the lungs of an owl monkey which died 27 days after intraperitoneal injection of herpes virus-infected Vero cells. The lungs and liver had multiple microscopic granulomas with acid-fast microorganisms. The mycobacteria also were isolated from a Vero-cell culture inoculated with a suspension of lung and liver. The same microorganism was eventually isolated from Vero cells of the same source as that used to propagate the herpes virus for the original attempt to infect the monkey.