title: Occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and wild Zanzibar red colobus monkeys (Procolobus kirkii).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in primates and determine their zoonotic or anthropozoonotic potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  Direct immunofluorescence was used to identify Giardia and Cryptosporidium from faecal samples. PCR and DNA sequencing was performed on positive results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Giardia cysts were identified from 5.5% (5/90) of captive chimpanzees and 0% (0/11) of captive mandrills in the Republic of Congo; 0% (0/10) of captive chimpanzees in Norway; and 0% of faecal samples (n = 49) from wild Zanzibar red colobus monkeys. Two Giardia positive samples were also positive on PCR, and sequencing revealed identical isolates of Assemblage B. Cryptosporidium oocysts were not detected in any of the samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In these primate groups, in which interactions with humans and human environments are quite substantial, Giardia and Cryptosporidium are rare pathogens. In chimpanzees, Giardia may have a zoonotic or anthropozoonotic potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Debenham
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Atencia
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Midtgaard
authors.forename: Lucy J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D003104:Colobus; D003223:Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct / Q000662:veterinary; D005872:Giardia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D048528:Mandrillus; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Ape; disease; primate; protozoa; transmission; zoonosis