Genetic characterization of nodular worm infections in Asian Apes

Authors

Erhan Yalcindag, Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
Peter Stuart, Department of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Munster Technological University, Tralee Campus, Co. Kerry, IrelandFollow
Hideo Hasegawa, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
Adrian Streit, Department Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 9, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
Jana Doležalová, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Palackého tř. 1, Brno, Czech Republic
Helen Morrogh-Bernard, Borneo Nature Foundation, Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
Susan M. Cheyne, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
Wisnu Nurcahyo, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Ivona Foitová, Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic

Abstract

Parasitic nematodes of Oesophagostomum spp., commonly known, as 'nodular worms' are emerging as the most widely distributed and prevalent zoonotic nematodes. Oesophagostomum infections are well documented in African non-human primates; however, the taxonomy, distribution and transmission of Oesophagostomum in Asian non-human primates are not adequately studied. To better understand which Oesophagostomum species infect Asian non-human primates and determine their phylogeny we analysed 55 faecal samples from 50 orangutan and 5 gibbon individuals from Borneo and Sumatra. Both microscopy and molecular results revealed that semi-wild animals had higher Oesophagostomum infection prevalence than free ranging animals. Based on sequence genotyping analysis targeting the Internal transcribed spacer 2 of rDNA, we report for the first time the presence of O. aculeatum in Sumatran apes. Population genetic analysis shows that there is significant genetic differentiation between Bornean and Sumatran O. aculeatum populations. Our results clearly reveal that O. aculeatum in free-ranging animals have a higher genetic variation than those in semi-wild animals, demonstrating that O. aculeatum is circulating naturally in wildlife and zoonotic transmission is possible. Further studies should be conducted to better understand the epidemiology and dynamics of Oesophagostomum transmission between humans, non-human primates and other wild species and livestock in Southeast Asia.

Disciplines

Animal Sciences | Life Sciences | Zoology

DOI

10.1038/s41598-021-86518-2

Full Publication Date

March 2021

Publication Details

Scientific Reports volume 11, 31 March 2021

Publisher

Nature Research

Funder Name 1

Foundation UMI—Saving of Pongidae

Funder Name 2

Czech Academy of Sciences

Award Number 2

P505/11/1163

Funder Name 4

European Commission

Award Number 4

CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0009

Funder Name 5

Government of the Czech Republic

Award Number 5

CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0037

Resource Type

journal article

Access Rights

open access

License Condition

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Alternative Identifier

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-86518-2

Recommended Citation

Yalcindag, E., Stuart, P., Hasegawa, H. et al. Genetic characterization of nodular worm infections in Asian Apes. Sci Rep 11, 7226 (2021). 10.1038/s41598-021-86518-2