Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Note
  • Published:

Challenges in oral administration of metronidazole dissolved in drinking water to rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Lab Animal volume 42, pages 213–216 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

Intestinal pathogens such as Entamoeba spp. and Giardia spp. protozoans are not uncommon among rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in research facilities. These infections affect the health of the macaques, potentially causing severe diarrhea, and also pose a risk of zoonotic transmission to human caretakers. Infections must therefore be treated, but no standard treatment for intestinal protozoans in macaques has been developed. Metronidazole is commonly used to treat infections with Giardia spp. and Entamoeba spp. in veterinary medicine, but evidence-based information on effectiveness and dosages for nonhuman primates is lacking, and administration of drugs to nonhuman primates is challenging. The authors designed a study to determine whether oral administration of metronidazole dissolved in drinking water would be successful in rhesus macaques. They monitored daily fluid intake of macaques given water with or without metronidazole and with or without flavored syrup. Metronidazole addition, with or without flavored syrup, resulted in a decrease in fluid intake. Although it was possible to administer metronidazole in drinking water to some macaques, the authors conclude that this strategy is not a practical clinical method because of variation in the amount of water and metronidazole ingested by the macaques.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Average daily fluid intake of rhesus macaques.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Levecke, B. The Importance of Gastrointestinal Protozoa in Captive Non Human Primates, Dissertation, Ghent Univ., (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Berrilli, F. et al. Giardia duodenalis assemblages and Entamoeba species infecting non-human primates in an Italian zoological garden: zoonotic potential and management traits. Parasit Vectors. 4, 199 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hubbard, G.B. Protozoal diseases of nonhuman primates. Semin. Avian Exotic Pet Med. 4, 145–149 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Jiang, B., Yang, G.Y., Yu, X.M., Cheng, A.C. & Bi, F.J. A case report: Entamoeba histolytica infections in the rhesus macaque, China. Parasitol. Res. 3, 915–917 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Kramer, J.A., Hachey, A.M., Wachtman, L.M. & Mansfield, K.G. Treatment of giardiasis in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) with tinidazole. Comp. Med. 59, 174–179 (2009).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Tangtrongsup, S. & Scorza, V. Update on the diagnosis and management of Giardia spp infections in dogs and cats. Top. Companion Anim. Med. 25, 155–162 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Verweij, J.J. et al. Entamoeba histolytica infections in captive primates. Parasitol. Res. 90, 100–103 (2003).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Johnson-Delaney, C.A. Parasites of captive nonhuman primates. Vet Clin. North Am. Exotic Anim. Pract. 12, 563–581 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Vernes, M.K. & Louwerse, A.L. Food enrichment. in BPRC's Enrichment Manual for Macaques and Marmosets 71–79 (BPRC, Rijswijk, The Netherlands, 2010).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bernacky, B.J., Gibson, S.V., Keeling, M.E. & Abee, C.R. Nonhuman primates. in Laboratory Animal Medicine 2nd edn. (eds. Fox, J.G., Anderson, L.C., Loew, F.M. & Quimbly, F.W.) 726 (Academic, Orlando, FL, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Peisert, W., Taborski, A., Pawlowski, Z., Karlewiczowa, R. & Zdun, M. Giardia infection in animals in Poznan Zoo. Vet. Parasitol. 13, 183–186 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Toft, J.D. & Eberhard, M.L. Parasitic diseases. in Nonhuman Primates in Biomedical Research: Diseases (eds. Bennett, B.T., Abee, C.R. & Henrickson, R.) 113–115 (Academic, San Diego, CA, 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kerr, G.R. Nutritional requirements of subhuman primates. Physiol. Rev. 52, 415–467 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schroederus, K.M., Gresl, T.A. & Kemnitz, J.W. Reduced water intake but normal response to acute water deprivation in elderly rhesus monkeys. Aging (Milano) 11, 101–108 (1999).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Suzuki, M.T., Hamano, M., Cho, F. & Honjo, S. Food- and water- intake, urinary and fecal output, and urinalysis in the wild-originated cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) under the indoor individually-caged conditions. Jikken Dobutsu. 38, 71–74 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Zorbas, Y.G., Kuznetsov, N.A. & Yaroshenko, Y.N. Water metabolic parameter changes in rhesus monkeys during exposure to prolonged restriction of motor activity. Biol. Trace Elem. Res. 57, 169–181 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Natelson, B.H. & Bonbright, J.C. Jr. Patterns of eating and drinking in monkeys when food and water are free and when they are earned. Physiol. Behav. 21, 201–213 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Pace, N., Hansen, J.T., Rahlmann, D.F., Barnstein, N.J. & Cannon, M.D. Preliminary observations of some physiological characteristics of the pig-tailed monkey, Macaca nemestrina. Aerosp. Med. 35, 118–121 (1964).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Scholten, P., van Leerdam, M.E. & Kuipers, E.J. Chronic diarrhoea: the importance of an accurate medical history. Ned. Tijdschr. Geneeskd. 150, 405–408 (2006).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank professor Johanna Fink-Gremmels and Dr. Anwar Jagessar for useful and helpful comments on this study and thank Donna Devine for editing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Linda Labberton

  2. Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Linda Labberton &  Ingeborg M. van Geijlswijk

  3. Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands

    Jaco Bakker,  Rianne Klomp &  Jan A.M. Langermans

Authors
  1. Linda Labberton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jaco Bakker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rianne Klomp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jan A.M. Langermans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ingeborg M. van Geijlswijk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaco Bakker.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Labberton, L., Bakker, J., Klomp, R. et al. Challenges in oral administration of metronidazole dissolved in drinking water to rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Lab Anim 42, 213–216 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.264

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.264

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing