title: Age-related effects on malaria parasite infection in wild chimpanzees.
abstract: Wild great apes are widely infected with a number of malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.). Yet, nothing is known about the biology of these infections in the wild. Using faecal samples collected from wild chimpanzees, we investigated the effect of age on Plasmodium spp. detection rates. The data show a strong association between age and malaria parasite positivity, with significantly lower detection rates in adults. This suggests that, as in humans, individuals reaching adulthood have mounted an effective protective immunity against malaria parasites.
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hélène M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: De Nys
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calvignac-Spencer
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Thiesen
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boesch
authors.forename: Roman M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mundry
authors.forename: Fabian H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Leendertz
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D013045:Species Specificity
keywords: Pan troglodytes verus; Plasmodium; malaria parasites; wild great apes