Identification of potentially zoonotic parasites in captive orangutans and semi-captive mandrills: phylogeny and morphological comparison

Nosková, Eva; Modrý, David; Baláž, Vojtech; Červená, Barbora; Jirků-Pomajbíková, Kateřina; Zechmeisterová, Kristína; Leowski, Clotilde; Petrželková, Klára J.; Pšenková, Ilona; Vodička, Roman; Kessler, Sharon E.; Ngoubangoye, Barthélémy; Setchell, Joanna M.; Pafčo, Barbora

Abstract

Cysts and trophozoites of vestibuliferid ciliates and larvae of Strongyloides were found in fecal samples from captive orangutans Pongo pygmaeus and P. abelii from Czech and Slovak zoological gardens. As comparative material, ciliates from semi-captive mandrills Mandrillus sphinx from Gabon were included in the study. Phylogenetic analysis of the detected vestibuliferid ciliates using ITS1-5.8s-rRNA-ITS2 and partial 18S rDNA revealed that the ciliates from orangutans are conspecific with Balantioides coli lineage A, while the ciliates from mandrills clustered with Buxtonella-like ciliates from other primates. Morphological examination of the cysts and trophozoites using light microscopy did not reveal differences robust enough to identify the genera of the ciliates. Phylogenetic analysis of detected L1 larvae of Strongyloides using partial cox1 revealed Strongyloides stercoralis clustering within the cox1 lineage A infecting dogs, humas and other primates. The sequences of 18S rDNA support these results. As both B. coli and S. stercoralis are zoonotic parasites and the conditions in captive and semi-captive settings may facilitate transmission to humans, prophylactic measures should reflect the findings.

Citation

Nosková, E., Modrý, D., Baláž, V., Červená, B., Jirků-Pomajbíková, K., Zechmeisterová, K., …Pafčo, B. (2023). Identification of potentially zoonotic parasites in captive orangutans and semi-captive mandrills: phylogeny and morphological comparison. American Journal of Primatology, 85(4), Article e23475. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23475

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 23, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 13, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-04
• Deposit Date: Jan 25, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2023
• Journal: American Journal of Primatology
• Print ISSN: 0275-2565
• Electronic ISSN: 1098-2345
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 85
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: e23475
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23475
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1184342