Sudden Death of a 17-Month-Old Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) due to a Congenital Undiagnosed Ventricular Septal Defect
Ivanela Kondova1, Merel Langelaar1, Arno A W Roest2
1Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands.
Journal of Medical Primatology
|March 14, 2026
Abstract:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital defect that is frequently observed in humans. We report the sudden death of an infant chimpanzee due to a congenital undiagnosed VSD. During necropsy, the examination of the heart revealed a VSD, dilatation of the left ventricle and myocardial hypertrophy of the right ventricle.


