Gastrointestinal parasites in captive and free-ranging Cebus albifrons in the Western Amazon, Ecuador

Abstract

Currently, there is a lack of surveys that report the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in the white-headed capuchin monkey (Cebus albifrons). We therefore assessed the presence and richness (= number of different parasite genera) of parasites in C. albifrons in wildlife refuges (n = 11) and in a free-ranging group near a human village (n = 15) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In the 78 samples collected (median of 3 samples per animal), we identified a total of 6 genera of gastrointestinal parasites, representing protozoa, nematodes, acanthocephalans and cestodes. We observed a high prevalence (84%) across the 26 individuals, with the most prevalent parasite being Strongyloides sp. (76.9%), followed by Hymenolepis sp. (38.5%) and Prosthenorchis elegans (11.5%). We found Entamoeba histolytica/dispar/moskovskii/nuttalli and Capillaria sp. in only a minority of the animals (3.8%). In addition, we observed unidentified strongyles in approximately one-third of the animals (34.6%). We found a total of 6 parasite genera for the adult age group, which showed higher parasite richness than the subadult age group (5) and the juvenile age group (3). Faecal egg/cyst counts were not significantly different between captive and free-ranging individuals or between sexes or age groups. The free-ranging group had a higher prevalence than the captive group; however, this difference was not significant. The only genus common to captive and free-ranging individuals was Strongyloides sp. The high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites and the presence of Strongyloides in both populations support results from previous studies in Cebus species. This high prevalence could be related to the high degree of humidity in the region. For the free-ranging group, additional studies are required to gain insights into the differences in parasite prevalence and intensity between age and sex groups. Additionally, our study demonstrated that a serial sampling of each individual increases the test sensitivity.

Intestinal Parasites and the Occurrence of Zoonotic Giardia duodenalis Genotype in Captive Gibbons at Krabokkoo Wildlife Breeding Center, Thailand

“…prevalence rates and Giardia genotypes in captive gibbons in Thailand. The prevalence of these infections were commonly high and ranged from 25 to 100% in either free-ranging (5, 7–10, 22, 28, 31, 45, 46) or captive non-human primates (4, 7, 11, 13–15, 20, 23–26, 46, 47). In the current study, overall prevalence rates of nematodes, G. duodenalis , and Cryptosporidium spp.…”

“…The most common helminthic species detected in NHP were Strongyloides spp., Trichuris spp., Oesophagostomum spp., Ascaris spp. and hookworms (5, 7, 22, 45, 46). A similar pattern of gastrointestinal parasites was also observed in captive gibbons in a zoo in China (13).…”

“…As the living area is limited, stress and other factors such as artificial environment, poor diet or the presence of humans lead to the high risk of infection and weaken the natural resistance of the host, making the clinical illness possible (4). The weakened health condition of these captive animals can have a negative impact on their reproduction which is of major concern in the zoos and wildlife breeding facilities of captive or endangered species (3, 5).…”

“…Several studies on helminthic parasites in the free-ranging (5–10) and captive populations (4, 11–15) of non-human primates (NHP) have been conducted worldwide and they reported a high prevalence of intestinal parasites. For example, the prevalence of endoparasites in western lowland gorillas at Bai Hokou, Dzangha-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic has been reported to be up to 100% (7).…”

Molecular identification of Trichuris trichiura and Hymenolepis diminuta in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Lopburi, Thailand

“…Hymenolepis spp. have been detected in NHP from Peru and white-headed capuchin monkeys from Ecuador [ 17 , 18 ].…”