title: Transmission dynamics of Cryptosporidium infection in a natural population of non-human primates at Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.
abstract: Infections from Cryptosporidium parvum are of interest not only to public health, but also to wildlife conservation, particularly when humans and livestock encroach on nature and thereby increase the risk of cross-species transmissions. To clarify this risk, we used polymerase chain reaction to examine the hypervariable region of the C. parvum 18S rRNA gene in feces from three monkey species. Samples were isolated from regions where disease transmission between monkeys, livestock, and humans was likely (soiled habitat) or unlikely (clean habitat). Monkey individuals, their social groups, and different species shared multiple genotypes/isolates of C. parvum. Ecological and molecular analyses suggested that Cryptosporidium infection among Toque macaques in soiled habitats was mainly the bovine genotype C. parvum. Monkeys inhabiting clean habitat, particularly gray and purple-faced langurs, lacked Cryptosporidium species/types associated with bovines. Livestock apparently was a main source of infection for wild primates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30605, USA. dil@uga.edu
authors.forename: Dilrukshi K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Ekanayake
authors.forename: David Mark
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: Rudo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kieft
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hajduk
authors.forename: Wolfgang P J
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Dittus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011323:Primates; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D013188:Sri Lanka
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S