Prevalence of parasites in working pig‐tailed Macaques (Macaca nemestrina) in Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Background Coconut is an important commodity in Kelantan, and pig‐tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) have been traditionally used for coconut‐plucking for over a century. Most of these animals were sourced from the wild population, and the parasitic status of these macaques is unknown, plus the impacts caused by these parasites are usually underestimated by the owners. Methods A total of 30 macaques were sampled for blood, faeces and hair plucks to detect parasite. Results Out of 21 faecal samples examined, 11 (52%) were determined positive for one or more gastrointestinal parasites, namely Trichostrongylus spp., Strongyloides spp., Anatrichosoma spp., Capillaria spp., Trichuris spp. and Paramphisotomum spp. Filaria was detected in one (3%) of the blood samples. For ectoparasites, only lice, Pedicinus sp., were found in 9 (30%) macaques. Conclusions It is imperative that the parasitic status of these animals be determined so that necessary actions and preventive measures can be implemented to prevent zoonotic transmissions.

Prevalence and risk factors of Strongyloides stercoralis infection among Orang Asli schoolchildren: new insights into the epidemiology, transmission and diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in Malaysia

“…Interestingly, larvae of Strongyloides spp. have been detected in domestic pig-tailed macaques working in the harvesting of coconuts in Kelantan state (Choong et al ., 2019). Furthermore, S. stercoralis larvae have been detected in common vegetables and herbs in the city of Kota Bharu in Kelantan (Zeehaida et al ., 2011).…”

Case Report: Molecular and Pathological Investigations of Zoonotic Anatrichosoma Spp.-Induced Ulcerative Pododermatitis in a Domestic Cat in Thailand

“…However, Anatrichosoma spp. commonly affects non-human primates (6,7,11,(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), suggesting that such primates are reservoir hosts for Anatrichosoma spp. Interestingly, this cat was raised in a suburban area and had no contact with any wild non-human primates.…”

Zoonotic potential of gastrointestinal parasite in long-tailed Macaque Macaca fascicularis at Baluran National Park, Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia

“…In this study, the prevalence of GI parasites was high 89% (89/100). These research have higher for GI parasites result from macaque in Sulawesi which ranges from of 42%-73%, working macaque in Malaysia with 52% and long-tailed macaque in Kupang, Indonesia with the prevalence of 86% (Jones et al, 2004;Joesoef et al, 2018;Choong et al, 2019). The prevalence of parasites is considered high if the prevalence rate belongs to 62-96% (Klaus et al, 2017).…”