Pulmonary anthracosis in a free-ranging infant rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh- A Case Report

The study aimed to describe a rare case of pulmonary anthracosis in a free-ranging infant rhesus monkey in Bangladesh.  An infant Rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) just under 1 year of age, was admitted to a veterinary hospital in Bangladesh with clinical signs including loss of appetite, gradual weight loss, weakness, dehydration, depression, breathing difficulty, and mild nasal discharge. The animal died suddenly within 24 hours of admission. A necropsy was performed on the infant monkey, and tissue samples were collected and sent to the Department of Anatomy and Histology at Chittagong University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (CVASU) for histopathological analysis. Gross examination revealed numerous uniformly distributed black spots in both lungs. The lungs showed significant inflammation, were firm, swollen, and abnormally colored, but no nodules or fibrosis were observed. Microscopic examination revealed black carbon particles, inflammatory cells, edema fluid, and brown hemosiderin-containing macrophages in the pulmonary interstitium. Diffuse alveolar damage with exudate and carbon particles was also observed. The infant monkey died from cardiopulmonary failure due to chronic respiratory distress. The presence of pulmonary carbonization indicates poor air quality in the animal's habitat, which may pose a threat to the health of both wildlife and humans.