Fatal shigellosis in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in the Jos Zoo, Nigeria.

Abstract

Shigellosis due to Shigella dysenteriae was diagnosed in an adult male captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) which died suddenly after a brief recovery from illness lasting at least 3 wk. Confirmatory diagnosis was based on postmortem examination and cultural isolation of Shigella dysenteriae from the intestine, liver, lung, spleen and heart blood.