Isolation and Serological Characterization of Ureaplasmas from Nonhuman Primates

Abstract

During 1973 through 1980, a survey was conducted to isolate ureaplasmas from the various sites of 306 apparently healthy nonhuman primates belonging to 8 species in 5 genera under 3 families: 9 common squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciurea), 9 green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops), 164 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), 10 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulata), 53 Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata), 1 orangutan (Pongo Pygmaeus), 2 gorillas (Pan gorilla) and 58 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Ureaplasmas were isolated from the nasal and oral cavities of common squirrel monkeys, and from the nasal cavity, oral cavity, rectum and prepuce of green monkeys. The organisms, furthermore, were less frequently isolated from the nasal cavity, oral cavity, rectum and prepuce of cynomolgus monkeys, and from the nasal cavity of chimpanzees. None of the organisms was recovered from the other simian species. In serological studies by the growth inhibition and metabolism inhibition tests, Ureaplasma strains of simian origins were found to be antigenically heterogeneous and divided into 4 distinguishable serogroups in accordance with the families in the zoological classification of nonhuman primates, Callithricidae, Cebidae, Cercopithecidae and Pongidae, respectively. The simian Ureaplasma strains were known to be antigenically different from bovine, caprine, ovine, canine, feline and avian ones, although there were common antigens between the Ureaplasma serogroup derived from the family Cercopithecidae and some serovars of Ureaplasma urealyticum.