Pulmonary toxoplasmosis in simian immunodeficiency virus infected rhesus monkey with irregular antiretroviral therapy - Case report

We describe a case of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infected rhesus monkey with irregular antiretroviral (ARV) therapy that was finally diagnosed as pulmonary toxoplasmosis. So far, there are still rare reports on pulmonary toxoplasmosis for its non-specific clinical and radiological abnormalities.

A Chinese origin rhesus monkey started to row loose stools on the 148th day after SIV-mac239 inoculation with irregular ARV therapy, and improved after expectant treatment for five days. However, when the treatment was stopped, loose stools reappeared with inappetence. On the 157th day after inoculation, it became worse with reduced autonomous activity. Before its death, Computed tomography (CT) scan results showed a bilateral pulmonary multiple lesion, characterized by ground-glass opacities, increase of lung markings, the affected lung segments and the obscure lung lobe. Lung autopsy study validated the infection of toxoplasma gandii.

In this case, we verified the infection of toxoplasma gandii in SIV-mac239 rhesus monkey pathologically, which reflects the pathological basis of infection imaging in return. We also found that pulmonary toxoplasmosis should be taken into consideration in HIV/AIDS patients with a poor adherence or failure to ARV and with fever, loose stools and reduced autonomous activity.