Absence of Naturally Acquired Tetanus Antitoxin in the Free‐Ranging Cayo Santiago Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

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Abstract
Tetanus is enzootic in the free‐ranging rhesus monkey colony on Cayo Santiago. The disease accounts for 25% of all mortalities in the population. The high prevalence of tetanus provided a unique opportunity to study the potential roles of geophagia, wounding, and clinical tetanus infections on the development of naturally acquired tetanus antitoxin in rhesus macaques. Eighty‐six unvaccinated monkeys, including six that recovered from tetanus, were serosurveyed using a mouse toxin neutralization test. None of the animals had detectable antitoxin titers (<0.001 AU/ml), suggesting that natural immunity to tetanus is either rare or nonexistent in the Cayo Santiago colony.
Funding Information
  • U.S. Public Health Service (RR01293)