RT Journal Article
T1 Severe Generalized Tetanus in a Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Under Human Care: A Case Report from the Republic of Congo
A1 Fuertes Recuero, Manuel
A1 De Pablo Moreno, Juan Andrés
A1 Revuelta Rueda, Luis
A1 Cox, Debby
A1 Debenham, John
A1 Morón Elorza, Pablo
A1 De Pablo Moreno, Javier Maria
A1 Atencia Fernández, Rebeca De La Trinidad
AB Tetanus is a life-threatening neurological disease affecting vertebrate species, including primates. Here, we present a case of severe generalized tetanus in a juvenile male chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) that was rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and admitted to a rehabilitation center in the Republic of Congo. Upon arrival, the chimpanzee presented with deep, contaminated constrictive wounds, trismus, generalized rigidity, and stimulus-induced tonic spasms accompanied by transient apnea, while remaining conscious. A presumptive clinical diagnosis was made, after which integrated care began immediately. This included meticulous wound debridement and irrigation, passive immunization with antitoxin, initiation of active immunization, metronidazole with adjunctive penicillin G, diazepam-based spasm control, multimodal analgesia, and low-stimulation nursing with oxygen supplementation, enteral nutrition, and temporary urinary catheterization. Aerobic wound culture yielded mixed flora, and a Gram stain of the feces showed large Gram-positive rods with terminal spores. Hematology tests revealed leucopenia with neutropenia and severe thrombocytopenia. The spasms ceased by day 5, at which point the diazepam dose was reduced and oral intake was increased. By week 8, he had made a full clinical recovery and was successfully reintegrated into his group. This case supports the use of pragmatic, sanctuary-adapted protocols and systematic vaccination.
PB MDPI
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129653
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/129653
LA eng
NO Fuertes-Recuero, M., De Pablo-Moreno, J. A., Revuelta, L., Cox, D., Debenham, J., Morón-Elorza, P., De Pablo-Moreno, J. M., & Atencia, R. (2026). Severe Generalized Tetanus in a Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Under Human Care: A Case Report from the Republic of Congo. Veterinary Sciences, 13(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13010013
NO Justificación de autores:Conceptualization, software, validation, formal analysis, investigation, M.F.-R., J.A.D.P.-M., D.C., J.D., P.M.-E., J.M.D.P.-M., L.R. and R.A.; methodology, M.F.-R., J.A.D.P.-M., D.C., J.D., L.R. and R.A.; writing—original draft preparation, M.F.-R., J.A.D.P.-M., D.C. and J.D.; writing—review and editing, L.R., P.M.-E. and R.A.; visualization, R.A.; supervision, L.R. and R.A.; project administration, L.R. and R.A.; funding acquisition, M.F.-R., J.A.D.P.-M., D.C., J.D., L.R., P.M.-E., J.A.D.P.-M. and R.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
DS Docta Complutense
RD 17 mar 2026