Dataset Information

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. leprae as the causative agent at each site and phylogenomic comparisons with other strains from humans and other animals show that the chimpanzee strains belong to different and rare genotypes (4N/O and 2F). These findings suggest that M. leprae may be circulating in more wild animals than suspected, either as a result of exposure to humans or other unknown environmental sources.

SUBMITTER: Hockings KJ

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

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Leprosy in wild chimpanzees.

Hockings Kimberley J KJ Mubemba Benjamin B Avanzi Charlotte C Pleh Kamilla K Düx Ariane A Bersacola Elena E Bessa Joana J Ramon Marina M Metzger Sonja S Patrono Livia V LV Jaffe Jenny E JE Benjak Andrej A Bonneaud Camille C Busso Philippe P Couacy-Hymann Emmanuel E Gado Moussa M Gagneux Sebastien S Johnson Roch C RC Kodio Mamoudou M Lynton-Jenkins Joshua J Morozova Irina I Mätz-Rensing Kerstin K Regalla Aissa A Said Abílio R AR Schuenemann Verena J VJ Sow Samba O SO Spencer John S JS Ulrich Markus M Zoubi Hyacinthe H Cole Stewart T ST Wittig Roman M RM Calvignac-Spencer Sebastien S Leendertz Fabian H FH

Nature 20211013 7882

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 squirrels2,3. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates4-7, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglod ...[more]

PMID: 34646009

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Project description:BackgroundAn assessment of population size and structure is an important first step in devising conservation and management plans for endangered species. Many threatened animals are elusive, rare and live in habitats that prohibit directly counting individuals. For example, a well-founded estimate of the number of great apes currently living in the wild is lacking. Developing methods to obtain accurate population estimates for these species is a priority for their conservation management. Genotyping non-invasively collected faecal samples is an effective way of evaluating a species' population size without disruption, and can also reveal details concerning population structure.Methodology/principal findingsWe opportunistically collected wild chimpanzee faecal samples for genetic capture-recapture analyses over a four-year period in a 132 km(2) area of Loango National Park, Gabon. Of the 444 samples, 46% yielded sufficient quantities of DNA for genotyping analysis and the consequent identification of 121 individuals. Using genetic capture-recapture, we estimate that 283 chimpanzees (range: 208-316) inhabited the research area between February 2005 and July 2008. Since chimpanzee males are patrilocal and territorial, we genotyped samples from males using variable Y-chromosome microsatellite markers and could infer that seven chimpanzee groups are present in the area. Genetic information, in combination with field data, also suggested the occurrence of repeated cases of intergroup violence and a probable group extinction.Conclusions/significanceThe poor amplification success rate resulted in a limited number of recaptures and hence only moderate precision (38%, measured as the entire width of the 95% confidence interval), but this was still similar to the best results obtained using intensive nest count surveys of apes (40% to 63%). Genetic capture-recapture methods applied to apes can provide a considerable amount of novel information on chimpanzee population size and structure with minimal disturbance to the animals and represent a powerful complement to traditional field-based methods.

Dataset Information

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees.

Publications

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees.

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