Abstract
Background: The study aims to describe a rare case of pulmonary anthracosis in a free-ranging infant rhesus monkey in Bangladesh.
Case presentation: An infant Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) just under 1 year of age died suddenly in a veterinary hospital in Bangladesh under treatment period with clinical signs of loss of appetite, gradual weight loss, weakness, dehydration, depression, breathing difficulty, and mild nasal discharge. The experienced veterinarian performed the postmortem examination of the infant monkey, collected samples from different organs, and sent them to the Department of Anatomy and Histology at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) for confirmatory diagnosis. A grossly considerable number of evenly distributed black spots were observed in the entire lungs. Moreover, both lungs were inflamed, firm, swollen, and discolored, but there were no nodules or fibrosis. Microscopically, black-colored carbon particles, inflammatory cells, edematous fluid, and brown color hemosiderin-laden macrophages were found in the interstitial space. Diffuse alveolar damage along with exudate and carbon particles were found in the alveoli.
Conclusion: The infant rhesus monkey died of cardiopulmonary failure due to chronic respiratory distress. The pulmonary anthracosis indicated that air quality was poor in the habitat and may pose a health risk to wild animals and humans.