Leprosy in wild chimpanzees.

ABSTRACT: Humans are considered as the main host for Mycobacterium leprae¹, the aetiological agent of leprosy, but spillover has occurred to other mammals that are now maintenance hosts, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels^2,3. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates^4-7, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau and Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Longitudinal monitoring of both populations revealed the progression of disease symptoms compatible with advanced leprosy. Screening of faecal and necropsy samples confirmed the presence of M. le

SUBMITTER: Hockings KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8550970 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature