Lactose intolerance in captive nocturnal prosimians (Perodicticus potto): A twenty-one year record

A colony of pottos was captured in December 1959 and brought to the United States. At that time part of their diet consisted of a high protein porridge made with whole milk. In addition, their drinking water contained an antibiotic to protect them from possible infection resulting from the change in habitat. No intestinal incontinence resulted from this treatment. Antibiotic addition to the diet ceased in 1961. In 1971 the remaining pair of animals developed a calcium deficiency. This was alleviated by adding 5 g calcium lactate to the drinking water and serving whole milk every other day. In 1977 the male developed acute lactose intolerance. His feces became bacteriologically sterile. His mate, who died on January 9, 1979, produced feces containing enteric organisms throughout her life. A large number of dairy products were served the animals in the attempt to alleviate this problem. Acidophilus milk or tinned 2% milkfat containing milk with 100% of the lactose hydrolyzed, produced no intestinal incontinence in the animal. It is suggested that sterile stools resulted from a fungal infection that killed theEscherichia coli. In addition it is proposed that non-pathogenic bacteria brought about an alteration of the brush border of the columnar epithelial cells of the villi which synthesize the enzyme lactase, such that lactase production was seriously reduced.