Ecology of the gastrointestinal parasites of Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng‐Fiema, Ghana: Possible anthropozoonotic transmission

Abstract

Parasite richness and prevalence in wild animals can be used as indicators of population and ecosystem health. In this study, the gastrointestinal parasites of ursine colobus monkeys (Colobus vellerosus) at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS), Ghana, were investigated. BFMS is a sacred grove where monkeys and humans have long lived in relatively peaceful proximity. Fecal samples (n = 109) were collected opportunistically from >27 adult and subadult males in six bisexual groups and one all-male band from July 2004 to August 2005. Using fecal floatation, we detected three protozoans (two Entamoeba sp., Isospora sp.), five nematodes (Ascaris sp., Enterobius sp., Trichuris sp., two strongyle sp.), and one digenean trematode. Using fluorescein labeled antibodies, we detected an additional protozoan (Giardia sp.), and with PCR techniques, we characterized this as G. duodenalis Assemblage B and also identified a protistan (Blastocystis sp., subtype 2). The most prevalent parasite species were G. duodenalis and Trichuris sp. Parasites were more prevalent in the long wet season than the long dry. Parasite prevalence did not vary by age, and average parasite richness did not differ by rank for males whose status remained unchanged. However, males that changed rank tended to show higher average parasite richness when they were lower ranked. Individuals that spent more time near human settlements had a higher prevalence of Isospora sp. that morphologically resembled the human species I. belli. The presence of this parasite and G. duodenalis Assemblage B indicates possible anthropozoonotic and/or zoonotic transmission between humans and colobus monkeys at this site.

Gastrointestinal Parasites of Indigenous and Introduced Primate Species of Rubondo Island National Park, Tanzania

“…Despite intensive research, there are only a few reports with lower prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in wild chimpanzees and vervets (Ashford et al 2000;Legesse and Erko 2004;Muehlenbein 2005;Reynolds 2005), and there is only one report in captive guerezas (Teichroeb et al 2009). Recent surveys showed that Blastocystis sp.…”

“…can be easily overlooked in fecal debris because of their small size, and thus the scarcity of reports in wild populations could be a result of methods used for detection (Stensvold et al 2007;Teichroeb et al 2009). From 13 morphologically identical subtypes of Blastocystis sp., 7 subtypes have been isolated from nonhuman primates; 5 of these subtypes occur in humans (Parkar et al 2010;Stensvold et al 2007Stensvold et al , 2009Teichroeb et al 2009;Yoshikawa et al 2004Yoshikawa et al , 2009. Some subtypes of Blastocystis sp.…”

“…Several authors found amoebas in wild chimpanzees (Ashford et al 2000;Kuntz and Myers 1969;Muehlenbein 2005), and Appleton et al (1994) noted a very high prevalence in Cercopithecus mitis. Only Entamoeba coli and E. histolytica occur in guerezas in Uganda and Ghana (Gillespie et al 2005a;Teichroeb et al 2009). These protozoa have a direct life cycle, immediate infectivity, and low host specificity, and primates are known as their reservoir (Pedersen et al 2005;Verweij et al 2003).…”

Social status and helminth infections in female forest guenons (Cercopithecus mitis)

“…Similarly, the relationship between social status and measures of infection varies among studies, based on factors that are not yet fully understood. High rank has been associated with greater nematode egg output in male yellow baboons (P. cynocephalus; Hausfater and Watson, 1976), male gorillas (Gorilla beringei; Rothman et al, 2008), male ursine colobus (Teichroeb et al, 2009), and female Japanese macaques (MacIntosh et al, 2012). In contrast, studies on male red-fronted lemurs, male and female olive baboons, and female yellow baboons found no effect of rank on any measure of helminth infection (Hausfater and Watson, 1976;M€ uller-Graf et al, 1996;Clough et al, 2010).…”

The molecular epidemiology of parasite infections: Tools and applications

“…Although the emphasis of these studies has been on the dog as a reservoir of human infection, some recent reports investigating the molecular epidemiology of infections with species of Giardia in wild primates have provided further evidence of zoonotic transmission in localised foci, and have also demonstrated that 'reverse zoonotic transmission' (zooanthroponotic) is an important factor that must be considered in understanding the epidemiology of infections with these parasites [115,116,117].…”