Gastrointestinal parasites in captive olive baboons in a UK safari park

Abstract

From the safety inside vehicles, Knowsley Safari offers visitors a close-up encounter with captive olive baboons. As exiting vehicles may be contaminated with baboon stool, a comprehensive coprological inspection was conducted to address public health concerns. Baboon stools were obtained from vehicles, and sleeping areas, inclusive of video analysis of baboon–vehicle interactions. A purposely selected 4-day sampling period enabled comparative inspections of 2662 vehicles, with a total of 669 baboon stools examined (371 from vehicles and 298 from sleeping areas). As informed by our pilot study, front-line diagnostic methods were: QUIK-CHEK rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (Giardia and Cryptosporidium), Kato–Katz coproscopy (Trichuris) and charcoal culture (Strongyloides). Some 13.9% of vehicles were contaminated with baboon stool. Prevalence of giardiasis was 37.4% while cryptosporidiosis was <0.01%, however, an absence of faecal cysts by quality control coproscopy, alongside lower than the expected levels of Giardia-specific DNA, judged RDT results as misleading, grossly overestimating prevalence. Prevalence of trichuriasis was 48.0% and strongyloidiasis was 13.7%, a first report of Strongyloides fuelleborni in UK. We advise regular blanket administration(s) of anthelminthics to the colony, exploring pour-on formulations, thereafter, smaller-scale indicator surveys would be adequate.

Parasitological transitions: selected outcomes from the XXXII Congress of the Italian Society for Parasitology

“…Innovative approaches to the study of parasites in exotic wildlife are also the main theme of another article in this SI, dealing with gastrointestinal parasites in captive olive baboons at Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside, northwest England (Juhasz et al ., 2023 ). Fecal samples of baboons were collected from vehicles and sleeping areas, and video analysis of baboon–vehicle interactions was conducted during the study.…”

“…The Italian Society for Parasitology (Società Italiana di Parassitologia, hereafter 'SoIPa') embodies this multidisciplinarity through the diversity of its members, which include scientists with medical, veterinary, biotechnology, epidemiology and environmental science backgrounds. 'Italy has the longest history in modern parasitology, based on the researches, first of Francesco Redi, the begetter of chemotherapy, Cestoni and Spallanzani, of Lancisi and Bassi and of countless others' (Garnham, 1971)… this is the incipit of the review article by Roncalli Amici (2001), which describes in detail the history of Italian parasitology from Roman times to the 21st century.…”