Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis: a spontaneous multiple sclerosis-like disease in a nonhuman primate.

Objective: To describe Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous inflammatory demyelinating disease occurring in the Oregon National Primate Research Center's (ONPRC) colony of Japanese macaques (JMs, Macaca fuscata).

Methods: JMs with neurologic impairment were removed from the colony, evaluated, and treated with supportive care. Animals were humanely euthanized and their central nervous systems (CNSs) were examined.