Prevalence of zoonotic enteric protozoa among captive primates in peninsular Malaysia

Tan, You Ken (2017) Prevalence of zoonotic enteric protozoa among captive primates in peninsular Malaysia. [Project Paper] (Submitted)

Text lp FPV 2017 33.pdf Download (1MB)

Abstract

The transmission of zoonotic wildlife diseases has increased exponentially, especially in non-human primates mainly due to social, demographic and environmental alterations. At present, there remains a dearth of published data on the occurrence and prevalence of zoonotic enteric protozoa among non-human primates in the country. This study was therefore conducted to determine the prevalence of zoonotic enteric protozoa among captive primates housed in four zoological facilities in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 40 pooled fecal samples were collected from Sumatra Orangutans, Borneo Orangutans, Chimpanzees, White-hand Gibbons, Siamangs, Lion-tailed Macaques, Stump-tailed Macaques, Bonnet Macaques, Mandrills, Brown Capuchin monkeys, Common Marmosets and Brown Lemurs. Fecal smears were prepared and stained with Giemsa and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen for microscopy examination. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using genus-specific primers was carried out to amplify the Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA (SSU) gene of Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Blastocystis, Balantidium and Entamoeba. Microscopy examination revealed the presence of Blastocystis (30%), Entamoeba (12.5%), Cryptosporidium (10%), and Balantidium (2.5%). Giardia was not detected in the fecal smears. PCR amplification demonstrated that Entamoeba (65%) was the most dominant enteric protozoa among the primates, followed by Blastocystis (50%), Balantidium (20%), Cryptosporidium (20%) and Giardia (5%). There was no significant association between the prevalence of the various protozoa and primate hosts or captive facility. The high prevalence of zoonotic enteric protozoa among captive primates in the country merits further investigation on the epidemiology, risk factors for infection, and their potential for zoonotic transmission to the staff and visitors.

Item Type:	Project Paper
Faculty:	Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Depositing User:	Ms. Nordeena Abdul Aziz
Date Deposited:	17 Jan 2023 08:27
Last Modified:	17 Jan 2023 08:27
URI:	http://psaspb.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/714

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