Note 3 additional necropsy reports were provided from
macaque monkeys that were euthanized during experimentation.
Total deaths (non-stillbirths) 157
Closer examination of these records raises many
questions. For example: the 8 macaques In the 1day – 1 month old
category had ages of: 1 day (3x), 2 day, 1 week, 2 ˝ weeks, and 1
month (2x). If, as the progress report says, no macaques were born
during this period, where did these young animals come from? It is not
likely that 1 day old primates were shipped in from a supplier. It is
even more surprising that the report lists no infant/juvenile macaques
as dying. What about these 8 macaques? The progress report also lists
no deaths among infant/juvenile marmosets. However WNPRC provided
necropsy reports for 40 marmosets in the 1 day – 1 month old category.
Apparently the WNPRC conveniently forgot about these 48 short lives
when filing their NIH progress report. The progress report lists 147
deaths at the primate center, but WNPRC provided 157 necropsy reports
that occurred during this period.
Many other pieces of information can be derived from
the necropsy reports at the WNPRC. This information can reveal
patterns in the diseases which functioned as causes of death, thereby
providing an indication of the conditions at the WNPRC.
Macaques
1. 38 (54.3%) died with lymphoplasmacytic
gastritis – this disease can be caused by stress.
2. 27 (21%) died with enteritis and/or colitis –
also potentially caused by stress.
3. 2 had reached a state of emaciation
4. 4 had begun to self-mutilate
5. Other disease conditions included: pneumonia,
hepatitis, endometriosis, peritonitis, etc.
Marmosets
1. 23 (64%) had lymphocytic enteritis – this
disease can be caused by stress
2. 8 (22%) had become cachetic (emaciated) 6
(16.7%) more were listed as thin -- or -- 14 (38.9%) were
substantially undernourished
3. 1 marmoset had begun to self-mutilate
4. Other diseases included lymphosarcoma,
hepatitis, meningitis, encephalitis, etc.
5. the infant mortality rate for the marmoset
colony is 58.1% = ( live births – infant necropsies) / (live births
+ stillbirths)
6. 8 of the infant animals that were given
post-mortem examinations had been cannibalized by other marmosets
What do these individual pieces of information lead
to? Lymphoplasmacytic gastritis in macaques and lymphocytic enteritis
in marmosets can be caused by stress. High infant mortality rates can
be caused by stress. Cannibalism can also be influenced by stress. A
significant number of primates at WNPRC engaged in self-mutilation.
This is likely a result of social isolation. It is very likely that
only the most susceptible primates engaged in self-mutilation, others
have probably developed behavioral pathologies of a different nature.
Additionally, we only have knowledge of the self-mutilating primates
that died. We have no way of knowing how many living macaques and
marmosets are physically injuring themselves at this very moment.
We must also conclude that the animals within this
colony suffer from chronic stress. All the signs are there:
gastro-intestinal tract disease.
