Prevalence of enteric parasites in pet macaques in Sulawesi, Indonesia

On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, nonhuman primate pets come into frequent contact with humans, presenting the possibility of zoonotic and anthropozoonotic disease transmission. We collected fecal samples from 88 pet macaques representing six of the seven macaque species currently recognized as endemic to Sulawesi (Macaca nigra, M. nigrescens, M. hecki, M. tonkeana, M. maura, and M. ochreata) as well as two non-endemic species (M. fascicularis and M. nemestrina) in order to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in this population. Seven taxa of intestinal protozoa (Blastocystis hominis, Iodamoeba bütschlii, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hartmanni, Chilomastrix mesnili, Endolimax nana, and Retortamonas intestinalis) and three taxa of nematodes (hookworm, Trichuris spp., and Ascaris spp.) were detected. The overall parasitization rate was 59.1%. Commensal organisms predominated in this population. Parasitization was not statistically correlated with macaque age group, sex, species, or location, or with the owner's level of education. These findings are discussed in the context of primate pet ownership practices in Sulawesi.