Comparison of three non-human primate aerosol models for glanders, caused by Burkholderia mallei

Burkholderia mallei is a gram-negative obligate animal pathogen that causes glanders, highly contagious and potentially fatal disease of solipeds including horses, mules, donkeys. Humans are also susceptible, exposure can result in wide range clinical forms, i.e., subclinical infection, chronic forms with remission exacerbation, or acute lethal septicemia and/or pneumonia. Due to intrinsic antibiotic resistance the ability organisms survive intracellularly, current treatment regimens protracted complicated; no vaccine available. As consequence these issues, since B. infectious by aerosol route, regarded as major potential biothreat agent. To develop optimal medical countermeasures diagnostic tests, well characterized models human glanders needed. The goal this study was perform head-to-head comparison employing three commonly used nonhuman primate (NHP) species, African green monkey (AGM), Rhesus macaque, Cynomolgus macaque. natural history infection vitro clinical, histopathological, immunochemical, bacteriological parameters were examined. AGMs most susceptible NHP mallei; five six expired within 14 days. Although none macaques succumbed, monkeys exhibited abnormal signs findings associated infection; latter may be useful for modeling infection. Based on progression observations, gross histochemical pathology, humoral cellular immune response findings, AGM appears model acute, pseudomallei, etiologic agent melioidosis, have been recently. Thus, selection species provides research community single investigations severe, inhalational melioidosis glanders.