The Owl Monkey (Aotus spp.) as an Animal Research Model. Part 3: Research Use and Diseases

Owl monkeys (Aotus spp.) are the only nocturnal simian primates and, as such, they are very different from other nonhuman primate species. Owl monkeys have been used as animal models in malaria research for over 50 years; however, they are also useful models to study a wide range of infectious and some noninfectious diseases. In addition, owl monkeys are spontaneously affected by a wide range of bacterial, viral, mycotic, and parasitic diseases, some of them with zoonotic potential that need to be considered when using this genus in biomedical research. Here we briefly review the research use and spontaneous diseases of this unique genus.