Seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania mexicana in Free-Ranging Howler Monkeys in Southeastern Mexico

• Published in: American journal of primatology Vol. 75; no. 2; pp. 161 - 169
• Main Authors: ROVIROSA-HERNÁNDEZ, MARÍA DE JESÚS, CORTES-ORTÍZ, LILIANA, GARCÍA-ORDUÑA, FRANCISCO, GUZMÁN-GÓMEZ, DANIEL, LÓPEZ-MONTEON, ARACELY, CABA, MARIO, RAMOS-LIGONIO, ANGEL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-02-2013; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Alouatta; Alouatta pigra; Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Blotting, Western - veterinary; Chagas Disease - epidemiology; Chagas Disease - parasitology; Chagas Disease - veterinary; Disease Susceptibility; Diseases; Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect - veterinary; free-ranging; Habitat; howler monkeys; Immunofluorescence; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infection; Leishmania mexicana; Leishmania mexicana - isolation & purification; Leishmaniasis; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - epidemiology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - parasitology; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - veterinary; Mammals; Mexico; Mexico - epidemiology; Monkey Diseases - diagnosis; Monkey Diseases - epidemiology; Monkey Diseases - parasitology; New World monkeys; Parasites; Prevalence; Primates; Protozoa; Public health; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; seroprevalence; Species; Species Specificity; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - isolation & purification; Western blotting; Mexico
• ISSN: 0275-2565; 1098-2345
• DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22094

Natural infection of wild mammals by protozoa parasites is quite common in nature. For Neotropical Primates different infections of parasites that are etiological agent of disease in human have been identified. In particular, infections by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania sp., have been reported for some New World primate species, but there are no reports of infection with these parasites in any primate species in Mexico. A serological study was conducted on two howler monkey species (Alouatta pigra and A. palliata) from the Mexican states of Campeche and Tabasco. A total of 55 serum samples (20 samples from A. pigra, 20 samples from A. palliata, and 15 samples from semifree ranging A. palliata of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz as negative controls) were analyzed for the detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies against T. cruzi and Leishmania mexicana through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay test, indirect immunofluorescence assay and Western blot. The overall prevalence of antibodies in howler monkeys was 17.5% for T. cruzi and 30% for L. mexicana. Our results also indicate that A. pigra is more susceptible to develop leishmaniasis than A. palliata. Finally, the finding of positive serology in these primates should be given serious consideration for public health, given the potential role of these primate species as wild reservoirs for these diseases and the increasing contact of monkeys with human populations due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Am. J. Primatol. 75:161‐169, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.