Preliminary Insights into the Impact of Dietary Starch on the Ciliate, Neobalantidium coli, in Captive Chimpanzees

Abstract

Infections caused by the intestinal ciliate Neobalantidium coli are asymptomatic in most hosts. In humans and captive African great apes clinical infections occasionally occur, manifested mainly by dysentery; however, factors responsible for development of clinical balantidiasis have not been fully clarified. We studied the effect of dietary starch on the intensities of infection by N. coli in two groups of captive chimpanzees. Adult chimpanzees infected by N. coli from the Hodonín Zoo and from the Brno Zoo, Czech Republic, were fed with a high starch diet (HSD) (average 14.7% of starch) for 14 days, followed by a five-day transition period and subsequently with a period of low starch diet (LoSD) (average 0.1% of starch) for another 14 days. We collected fecal samples during the last seven days of HSD and LoSD and fixed them in 10% formalin. We quantified trophozoites of N. coli using the FLOTAC method. The numbers of N. coli trophozoites were higher during the HSD (mean ± SD: 49.0±134.7) than during the LoSD (3.5±6.8). A generalized linear mixed-effects model revealed significantly lower numbers of the N. coli trophozoites in the feces during the LoSD period in comparison to the HSD period (treatment contrast LoSD vs. HSD: 2.7±0.06 (SE), z = 47.7; p<<0.001). We conclude that our data provide a first indication that starch-rich diet might be responsible for high intensities of infection of N. coli in captive individuals and might predispose them for clinically manifested balantidiasis. We discuss the potential nutritional modifications to host diets that can be implemented in part to control N. coli infections.

Balantidium coli

“…Another important factor is the health status of the person, which is of paramount importance for the onset of the infection and of the disease. This includes the physical condition, concurrent pathologies, immunological status and immunodepression (Anargyrou et al, 2003;Maino et al, 2010;Vasilakopoulou et al, 2003;Yazar et al, 2004;) and diet (nutritional status) of each person (Schovancová et al, 2013). Balantidium coli is usually detected in persons with other infectious agents (other protozoa, helminths, bacteria, viruses), with systemic diseases, or suffering malnourishment.…”

“…For humans, treatment consists of tetracycline (500 mg four times daily for 10 days; not recommended for pregnant women or for children under 8 years old), metronidazole (750 mg three times daily for 5 days) or iodoquinol (640 mg three times daily for 20 days). It is advisable to give the patient a starch-free diet (Areán and Koppisch, 1956;Schovancová et al, 2013). Pigs (the main reservoir of B. coli) can be treated with oxytretracycline.…”

Evolutionary Associations of Endosymbiotic Ciliates Shed Light on the Timing of the Marsupial–Placental Split

“…2012 , 2013 ; Vallo et al. 2012 ; Schovancová et al. 2013 ), and especially with elephants and odd-toed ungulates, such as rhinoceroses, horses, and zebras ( Ito et al.…”

Association of human disturbance and gastrointestinal parasite infection of yellow baboons in western Tanzania

“…Diets high in starch based carbohydrates have been shown to increase B . coli growth within hosts [ 73 ], therefore the increased abundance of isotrichid ciliates in the high disturbance area might be explained by starch rich diets resulting from crop-raiding. While habitat disturbance, due to decreased resource availability, may reduce host nutritional status and thus increase parasite susceptibility in some NHPs [ 74 ], this is unlikely to be the case in baboons.…”