Prevalence of intestinal parasites infecting free-ranging non-human primates in Colombia

INTRODUCTION. Neotropical non-human primates (NHP) have been found infected with a diversity of intestinal zoonotic protozoan and metazoan parasites of public health concern (Solórzano-García and Pérez-Ponce de León, 2018 Int J Primatol. 39: 155-82). Ecosystem transformation increases contact between humans and NHP (Trejo-Macías et al., 2007 Int J Primatol. 28: 931-45), leading to zoonotic parasite transmission. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites in free-ranging NHP, living in five forest fragments in Colombia and to perform parasite identification to the lowest possible taxonomic level. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In 2019 and 2020, fecal samples were collected from NHP immediately after defecation, and stored in 10% formalin solution and 96% ethanol. Faecal smears with 1% iodine solution and 0.85% saline solution were performed (Botero and Restrepo, 2012 Parasitosis humanas. Quinta edición). In this study, samples microscopically classified as positive for Ascarididae and Blastocystis sp. were processed for molecular characterization (Cavallero et al., 2013 PLosNegl Trop Dis. 7: e2170; Mattiucci et al., 2016 Epidemiol Infect. 144: 635-46). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. Overall, 160 fecal samples were collected from individuals from six platyrrhine genera: Alouatta seniculus (n=46), Ateles hybridus (n=13), Aotus griseimembra (n=5), Cebus versicolor (n=20), Saimiri cassiquiarensis (n=73), and Sapajus sp. (n=3). Around 90% of the samples were positive for intestinal parasites. Protozoans (Blastocystis sp., Balantiididae, Dientamoeba sp., Entamoebidae, Giardia sp.), cestodes (Hymenolepis sp.), trematodes (Controrchis sp.), nematodes (Ascarididae, Trichuridae, Strongyloides sp., Trypanoxyuris sp., Ancylostomatidae), and acanthocephalans were observed. Ascaris lumbricoides and Blastocystis hominis (ST8) were identified using molecular biology techniques. The finding of parasites with zoonotic potential suggests epidemiological implications in NHP conservation and human health, particularly in highly transformed ecosystems.