Patterns of zoonotic helminths’ co-infections among habituated chimpanzees in Budongo Forest Reserve

Abstract

This study aimed to establish the pattern of zoonotic helminth co-infections among chimpanzees of Sonso and Waibira chimpanzee communities in Budongo Forest, Masindi district. A retrospective study was conducted reviewing parasitology data collected from chimpanzees of Sonso and Waibira between 2013 and 2019 to determine the patterns of zoonotic helminths co infections wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Fresh fecal samples were collected soon after defecation non-invasively into fecal collection tubes and were analyzed for gastrointestinal helminthes using floatation and sedimentation methods. Microsoft Excel software and Python version 3.8 were used for all statistical analyses. Generally, mean levels of zoonotic helminths co-infections of both female and male chimpanzees of Sonso community were higher than those of Waibira. Infants of Waibira had higher mean levels of co-infections than those of Sonso, and the mean levels of co-infections in the wet season were higher than those in the dry season in both chimpanzee communities. Where two co-infections were observed, Oesophagostomum and Strongyloides spp were the most common in both chimpanzee communities. Where three co infections were observed, Oesophagostomum, Hookworm and Trichostrongylus spp were the most common in both chimpanzee communities. And where four co-infections were observed, Oesophagostomum, Hookworm, Strongyloides and Tapeworm spp were the most common in Sonso while Oesophagostomum, Hookworm, Strongyloides and Trichostrongylus spp in Waibira. I recommend that a similar study on these helminths in the same study area and population should be done using climate data from 2013 to 2019 to effectively establish the relationship between BFR’s climate and parasitism.