Zoonoses

Rabinowitz, Peter; Conti, Lisa

doi:10.1016/b978-1-4160-6837-2.00009-9

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 424 publications

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“…An intriguing possibility is that an environmental source is at the origin of chimpanzee infections. Other mycobacteria can survive in water, including M. ulcerans and other non-tuberculous mycobacteria 34,35 , and molecular investigations have reported that M. leprae can survive in soil 36 . Experimental data also show that M. leprae multiplies in amoebae 37 , arthropods 38 , and ticks, which could contribute to the persistence of the bacteria in the environment.…”

Section: Mainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Hockings

Mubemba

Avanzi

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Humans are considered the main host for Mycobacterium leprae, the aetiologic agent of leprosy, but spill-over to other mammals such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels occurs. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here, we report on leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, and the Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Longitudinal monitoring of both populations revealed the progression of disease symptoms compatible with advanced leprosy. Screening of faecal and necropsy samples confirmed the presence of M. leprae as the causative agent at each site and phylogenomic comparisons with other strains from humans and other animals show that the chimpanzee strains belong to different and rare genotypes (4N/O and 2F). The independent evolutionary origin of M. leprae in two geographically distant populations of wild chimpanzees, with no prolonged direct contact with humans, suggests multiple introductions of M. leprae from an unknown animal or environmental source.

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Section: Mainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Hockings

Mubemba

Avanzi

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Hockings

Mubemba

Avanzi

et al. 2021

Nature

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Humans are considered as the main host for Mycobacterium leprae1, the aetiological agent of leprosy, but spillover has occurred to other mammals that are now maintenance hosts, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels2,3. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates4–7, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau and Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Longitudinal monitoring of both populations revealed the progression of disease symptoms compatible with advanced leprosy. Screening of faecal and necropsy samples confirmed the presence of M. leprae as the causative agent at each site and phylogenomic comparisons with other strains from humans and other animals show that the chimpanzee strains belong to different and rare genotypes (4N/O and 2F). These findings suggest that M. leprae may be circulating in more wild animals than suspected, either as a result of exposure to humans or other unknown environmental sources.

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Aerospace Medicine Clinic

2024

Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance

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Zoonoses

Cited by 5 publications

References 424 publications

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

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