Occurrence of gastrointestinal Helminths in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Abstract

A total of 66 (sixty-six) fresh fecal samples were collected during July 2017 to October 2018 from rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) residing in Bangladesh National Zoo, Dhaka. Samples were analyzed applying formol-ether concentration technique. All the rhesus macaques, irrespective of age and sex, were found to be infested with one or more species of gastrointestinal (GI) helminth parasites. Ascaris spp. was noticed in all the fecal samples. Overall intensity of helminths was higher in male (38.53) that in female (31.04) comprising the maximum (58.08) in adult male (p < 0.005). The highest intensity was of Ascaris spp. (3.33 ± 1.39) and found in adult male hosts. Young female rhesus macaques displayed the maximum intensity of Trichuris spp. (3.56 ± 0.73).
 Bangladesh J. Zool. 46(2): 231-237, 2018

Diversity and prevalence of gut parasites in urban macaques

“…was reported with a prevalence rate of 14.3% that was in accordance with the findings from Nepal (14.05% -14.44%) (Jha et al, 2011;Bhattarai et al, 2019) and lower than the reports from Bangladesh (50%) (Tabasshum et al, 2018), Thailand (19.6%) (Schurer et al, 2019), Nepal (23.65%) (Adhikari and Dhakal 2018), and higher than the findings from India (3.7% -12%) (Knezevich 1999;Kumar et al, 2018) and England (11.2%) (Remfry 1978). Trichuriasis in macaques leads to intestinal disorder accompanied by rectal prolapse and may even induce death (Thienpont et al, 1962;Remfry 1978;Toft and Eberhard 1998) The current prevalence 19% of hookworm was lower than the findings from Thailand (23%) (Schurer et al, 2019), Bangladesh (22.72%) (Tabasshum et al, 2018) and was higher than the findings from India (15.38%) (Jaiswal et al, 2014) and Nepal (6.67%) (Bhattarai et al, 2019). This zoonotic nematode may cause mild to severe clinical pathologies in the macaques, including anemia and diarrhea (Toft 1986;Toft and Eberhard 1998).…”

“…The current study explores the status and diversity of the gut parasites in monkeys inhabiting an urban temple area situated in between human settlements in Nepal. In this study, the overall prevalence of the gut parasites was 100% which was similar to the result from Bangladesh (100%) (Tabasshum et al, 2018), higher than the findings from Nepal (61.9% -86%) (Jha et al, 2011;Adhikari and Dhakal 2018;Bhattarai et al, 2019), and India (40%-66.5%) (Parmar et al, 2012;Jaiswal et al, 2014;Kumar et al, 2018). Besides, cent percent concomitant infections with maximum triplet co-infection rate suggested the parasitic richness in the gut of the macaques.…”

“…Regarding helminths, the prevalence rate of Ascarid spp. was 21.4% which was lower than the findings from Bangladesh (90.90%) (Tabasshum et al, 2018), India (25.5% -26.66%) (Parmar et al, 2012;Kumar et al, 2018), and Nepal (22.22%) (Bhattarai et al, 2019) and higher than the findings from Nepal (10.58% -11.82%) (Pokhrel and Maharjan 2014;Adhikari and Dhakal 2018), India (5%) (Arunachalam et al, 2015), and Thailand (1%) (Schurer et al, 2019). The presence of Toxocara sp.…”

“…The presence of Toxocara sp. in macaques, was also explained in various research findings from Nepal (Jha et al, 2011; and Bangladesh (Tabasshum et al, 2018). Ascarid infection is associated with zoonosis (https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html , Accessed on: June 2, 2020).…”

Prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in free‐ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in different land gradients of Bangladesh

“…A number of studies have been conducted on GI parasites of nonhuman primates (NHPs) in wild (Adrus et al, 2019; Gillespie et al, 2010; Hussain et al, 2013; Kouassi et al, 2015; Lane et al, 2011; Mbaya & Udendeye, 2011; McCarthy & Moore, 2000; Milozzi et al, 2012; Munene et al, 1998; Phillips et al, 2004; Sricharern et al, 2016), captive (Adegbulu et al, 2015; Chandrakar et al, 2020; Levecke et al, 2007; Milozzi et al, 2012; Mir et al, 2016; Tabasshum et al, 2018; Thawait et al, 2014; Zanzani et al, 2016), and urban areas (Debenham et al, 2017; Ryan et al, 2012; Wenz et al, 2009). In captive NHPs, GI parasite prevalence was recorded to range between 75% and 100% in Bangladesh (Khatun et al, 2014; Raja et al, 2014; Tabasshum et al, 2018), 60% in India (Thawait et al, 2014), 26.51% in China (Li et al, 2015), 78.3% in Malaysia (Adrus et al, 2019), whereas for free‐ranging NHPs, prevalence has been recorded to be much lower. For example, studies indicate a prevalence of GI parasite infection as 7.6%–31.6% in Thailand (Wenz‐Muecke et al, 2013), 91.4% in Malaysia (Adrus et al, 2019), and 75.8% in India (Hussain et al, 2013).…”