Du macaque rhésus au macaque fascicularis : le refus de l’Inde de l’exportation de ses rhésus (1970-1990)
The use of the rhesus monkey as an animal model in biomedical research during the 1950’s, principally for toxicity tests and polio vaccine production, fostered a dependence upon countries that exported these animals. By banning the export of primates in 1978, India deprived the international researc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Société Francophone de Primatologie
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Revue de Primatologie |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/primatologie/2838 |
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| Summary: | The use of the rhesus monkey as an animal model in biomedical research during the 1950’s, principally for toxicity tests and polio vaccine production, fostered a dependence upon countries that exported these animals. By banning the export of primates in 1978, India deprived the international research community of a critical resource. Rising concerns in India regarding wildlife preservation as well as Hindu reverence for the monkeys propelled this policy change. Two options were first attempted by researchers: acquiring rhesus monkeys from other Asian nations or breeding them in the scientists’ own countries. Neither approach proved to be sustainable in the long term. For this reason, the decision was made to switch the primate model from the rhesus to the fascicularis macaque. This choice offered both scientific and financial advantages. This article aims to demonstrate that the choice of a particular research animal is influenced by economic and cultural factors as well by scientific considerations. |
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| ISSN: | 2077-3757 |