Tuberculosis in a chimpanzee

Tuberculosis in a female chimpanzee in Lucknow Zoo is reported. The chimpanzee died suddenly without showing much clinical manifestations. On postmortem examination, there were granulomatous nodules on lung, liver and kidneys. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of typical tubercles alongwith caseation and presence of numerous Langhan's type giant cells, characteristic of tuberculosis. Zeihl-Neelsen's staining of impression smears of the lesion revealed the presence of acid-fast bacilli.