In April 2020, the Bronx Zoo made a headline-grabbing announcement: one of their tigers tested positive for COVID-19, a striking example of zoos as microcosms of human health and medicine. Indeed, many diseases and health problems experienced by zoo animals are found in, and frequently linked to, humans. Furthermore, the veterinary care they receive often incorporates knowledge, tools and treatments used in human health care. Here, we analyse these developments across the history of non-human primate health at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZP), one of the oldest zoos in the United States. From NZP's opening in 1891, we distinguish five historical time periods within its first century based on how animal health was described, treated and understood. Concentrating on descriptions of primates in annual Smithsonian reports, we see notable changes in NZP activities focused on housing and environment (1889–1900), disease diagnosis and prevention (1901–1916), human–animal connections (1917–1940), research and collaboration (1941–1973) and conservation (1974–1989). We relate these shifts to concurrent medical events and trends in the United States, and interpret NZP's history in a broader scientific and societal context leading to a ‘One Health’ approach to animal care and welfare today.

2020 年 4 月，布朗克斯动物园发布了一个引人注目的公告：他们的一只老虎 COVID-19 检测呈阳性，这是动物园作为人类健康和医学缩影的一个突出例子。事实上，动物园动物经历的许多疾病和健康问题都存在于人类身上，并且经常与人类有关。此外，他们接受的兽医护理通常包含人类保健中使用的知识、工具和治疗方法。在这里，我们分析了美国最古老的动物园之一史密森尼国家动物园和保护生物学研究所 (NZP) 非人类灵长类动物健康历史上的这些发展。从 NZP 于 1891 年成立以来，我们根据动物健康的描述、治疗和理解方式，在其第一个世纪内区分了五个历史时期。专注于史密森尼年度报告中对灵长类动物的描述，我们看到 NZP 活动的显着变化集中在住房和环境（1889-1900）、疾病诊断和预防（1901-1916）、人与动物的联系（1917-1940）、研究和合作（1941-1973）和保护（1974-1989）。我们将这些转变与美国同时发生的医疗事件和趋势联系起来，并在更广泛的科学和社会背景下解释 NZP 的历史，从而导致今天对动物护理和福利采取“同一个健康”的方法。