Primates as a source of Entamoeba histolytica, their zymodeme status and zoonotic potential

A survey of 17 species of non-human captive primates in Quebec, Canada, revealed that 40% of the animals were infected with the protozoan Entamoeba histolytica. Isoenzyme analysis of lysates prepared from cultured amebic isolates showed them to belong to either a zymodeme III or VIII, and therefore, characteristic of non-pathogenic strains of E. histolytica from humans. These isolates were also of low virulence in gerbil ceca. Serum samples from infected and uninfected primates had negative titres for E. histolytica and all the animals appeared to be healthy.