Unusual outbreak of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis in a closed colony of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

An outbreak of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis among 46 rhesus monkeys housed in individual cages in the same large room of a closed experimental colony appeared to originate in one male that had been in the laboratory for 25 months. During this time, the animal received a total of 17 intrapalpebral tuberculin tests and two chest radiographs, all of which were negative. Of the remaining 45 animals in the room, 43 converted from tuberculin negative to positive within 7 weeks, while the animals in all other rooms remained tuberculin negative during the 1-year follow-up period.