Deep subconjunctival injection of gentamicin for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis in macaques (Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis).

Infectious conjunctivitis occurs in a number of domestic and laboratory animal species and is usually treated topically with eye drops or eye ointments, which must be administered several times a day and sometimes for a prolonged period of time. In aggressive nonhuman primates or other large laboratory animal species, this may require the use of anesthesia or physical restraint before each treatment, which can be stressful to the animals and demanding for personnel. The authors describe a technique for administering deep subconjunctival injections of an antibiotic to laboratory macaques for the treatment of conjunctivitis. Three cases of recurrent conjunctivitis in macaques that responded poorly to other treatment approaches were effectively treated using this technique. This approach is recommended for the treatment of conjunctivitis in macaques and other large animal species.