Special challenges of maintaining wild animals in captivity in South America.

The author summarises the occurrence of major diseases in wild animals maintained in captivity in South America. The epidemiology, impact and significance of the diseases are discussed, together with appropriate husbandry practices to control and prevent transmissible diseases. The following animal groups and pathologies are considered in this review: poxvirus dermatitis, gastroenteritis, pneumonia, amoebosis and coccidiosis in reptiles, management practices and diseases (including botulism, bacterial enteritis, psittacosis, aspergillosis and parasitic diseases in birds), enterocolitis, pneumonias and internal parasites in non-human primates, canine distemper, parvoviruses, babesiosis, internal and external parasites in carnivores, tuberculosis and enteritis in tapirs, haemorrhagic disease in cervids.