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Dracunculiasis in South Indian bonnet monkey
Venkatachalam Sankar1, Seppan Prakash1, Rathinasamy Muthusamy1
1Department of Anatomy, Dr. Arcot Lakshmanasamy Mudaliar Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, 600 113, Chennai, India.
Primates; Journal of Primatology
|December 15, 2018
Summary
A female bonnet monkey in Tamil Nadu, India, was diagnosed with Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis), a parasitic infection previously eradicated in the region. This case raises concerns about potential animal reservoirs for the disease.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Parasitology
- Primate Health
Background:
- Dracunculiasis, or Guinea worm disease, was declared eradicated from Tamil Nadu, India, with no indigenous cases since 1981.
- Non-human primates are not typically considered hosts for Guinea worm disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of dracunculiasis in a South Indian bonnet monkey (Macaca radiata).
- To investigate the potential role of wild monkeys as reservoirs for Guinea worm disease, potentially impacting eradication efforts.
Main Methods:
- Clinical observation of a female bonnet monkey presenting with fever and a limb blister.
- Documentation of worm extrusion upon blister rupture and exposure to water.
- Literature review for previous reports of dracunculiasis in South Indian bonnet monkeys.
Main Results:
- A 7-cm Guinea worm was extruded from a blister on the monkey's hind limb.
- The worm died before histological examination, but the clinical presentation was pathognomonic for dracunculiasis.
- No prior reports of dracunculiasis in this specific monkey species in South India were found.
Conclusions:
- This case suggests that South Indian bonnet monkeys may be susceptible to dracunculiasis.
- Wild primates could potentially serve as reservoirs for Guinea worm disease, posing a risk for disease resurgence in formerly endemic areas.
- Further research is needed to assess the role of non-human primates in the epidemiology of dracunculiasis.
