A review of chronic enterocolitis of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and potential as a naturally occurring model for post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome

spp. infections, though associations with protozoal agents and other bacteria have been investigated as well. If causality is proven, the syndrome could be used as a naturally occurring model for post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS) in humans, a syndrome which develops in over one-third of people following an episode of infectious gastroenteritis. Existing animal models fail to replicate PI-IBS in its entirety, preventing the development of effective therapies for this disruptive disease. Given the impact CE has on research colonies, particularly when macaques are in short supply for critical research, as well as the potential as a translational research model, further investigation into this syndrome is crucial. This review will aim to revisit the characterization of CE in rhesus macaques, provide a brief summary of existing animal models for PI-IBS, and discuss recent work on the suitability of CE as a model for the human disease.