Frequency of Klebsiella spp. and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns in Clinically Healthy Captive Night Monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) in the Peruvian Amazon

Salazar A.; Sanchez-Perea N.; Díaz F.; del Aguila M.; Cuicapuza D.; Quevedo-Urday M.; Salvatierra G. · Journal of Medical Primatology (2026) · DOI: 10.1111/jmp.70106

Resumen

Introduction: Klebsiella spp. are opportunistic enterobacteria associated with a wide range of infections in humans and animals and are increasingly recognized as important pathogens due to their ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. Captive wildlife populations, including non-human primates, may serve as carriers of these bacteria and are susceptible to bacterial outbreaks under certain management and environmental conditions. This study aimed to describe the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Klebsiella spp. isolated from clinically healthy captive night monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) housed at the IVITA–Iquitos breeding center in the Peruvian Amazon. Materials and Methods: A total of 86 clinically healthy night monkeys were sampled. Rectal swabs were collected for bacterial isolation and identification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Associations between bacterial isolation and demographic variables were evaluated. Results: Klebsiella spp. were isolated from 10.5% (9/86) of the animals. The frequency of isolation was highest among juveniles, followed by infants and adults, with a significant association between age group and bacterial isolation (p < 0.05). No association was observed with sex. Most isolates (79.2%) were susceptible to all tested antimicrobials, four isolates (16.7%) exhibited intermediate susceptibility to at least one antimicrobial, and only one isolate (4.2%) showed resistance, specifically to ciprofloxacin. No multidrug-resistant isolates were identified. Discussion: The results indicate a low frequency of antimicrobial resistance among Klebsiella spp. isolates recovered from clinically healthy captive night monkeys. These findings provide baseline information on the occurrence of Klebsiella spp. and antimicrobial susceptibility in this population. Continued microbiological surveillance is recommended to support preventive health management and facilitate the early detection of changes in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in captive neotropical primates.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia; Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad Privada del Norte