Association between Papio hamadryas populations and human gastrointestinal infectious diseases in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Papio hamadryas baboons, known reservoirs of several infectious diseases, roam and deposit their excreta indiscriminately on footpaths, parks, and streets of the city peripheries of Taif, Baha, and Abha in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, city centers of these places are free of baboons. This study aims to determine the impact of baboons on human gastrointestinal health. DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional analytical ecological study conducted in 3 cities located in southwestern Saudi Arabia between July 2011 and July 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the impact of these baboons on the human health through a coprological survey of infectious agents of baboons and humans in these 3 cities using macroscopic and micro.scopic analyses, before and after parasite concentration, and culturing of bacteria on selective and differential media, which were then identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Baboon fecal samples (n=823) were collected from city peripheries. Two groups of human fecal samples, each consisting of 795 samples were collected, one from city centers and the second from city peripheries where baboons intermingle with the human population. RESULTS: Baboon fecal samples were the most contaminated with infectious agents, except for Staphylococcus aureus, which was more commonly present in human fecal samples collected from city peripheries. Human fecal samples collected form city peripheries showed higher rates of most infective agents than those collected from city centers. CONCLUSION: This indicates that baboons are medically important reservoirs of infectious agents associated with higher human coproprevalence of gastrointestinal infectious agents.

First report on Aonchotheca annulosa Dujardin, 1845 (Nematoda, Capillariidae) in a Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) from a zoo in northern Turkey.

BACKGROUND: A dead male Hamadryas baboon, Papio hamadryas, from a zoo in Samsun in northern Turkey was submitted for necropsy examination. METHODS: Standard techniques were performed for necropsy and for parasitic identification. RESULTS: A total of 14 nematodes were recovered from the small intestine. All nematodes were identified as Aonchotheca annulosa. CONCLUSIONS: This nematode is most often reported from murid rodents under natural conditions. To date, little is known about the occurrence of A. annulosa in monkeys, with the exception of a single report in a capuchin monkey. This is the first record of A. annulosa from P. hamadryas.