Leprosy confirmed in wild chimpanzees

Date:
October 13, 2021
Source:
University of Exeter
Summary:
Leprosy has been found in wild chimpanzees. Researchers have
confirmed cases of the disease among two unconnected West African
populations of chimpanzees, in Guinea-Bissau and the Ivory Coast.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Leprosy has been found in wild chimpanzees for the first time, a new
study reveals.


========================================================================== Researchers have confirmed cases of the disease among two unconnected West African populations of chimpanzees, in Guinea-Bissau and the Ivory Coast.

Analysis published in the journal Nature shows the strains of leprosy
are different, and both are uncommon among humans.

The origins of the infections are unclear, but the research team --
led by the University of Exeter and the Robert Koch Institute -- say
the findings show leprosy is probably circulating in more wild animals
than was previously suspected, either as a result of exposure to humans
or other unknown environmental sources.

Humans are considered the main host for Mycobacterium leprae bacteria,
which cause leprosy, but "spill-over" to other mammals such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels is known to occur.

"This is the first confirmation of leprosy in nonhuman animals in
Africa," said lead author Dr Kimberley Hockings, of Centre for Ecology
and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



========================================================================== "It's amazing that it also happens to be in our closest living relative,
the chimpanzee, especially considering how well studied chimpanzees are
in the wild.

"We first noticed possible symptoms of leprosy in a population of
chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau.

"The symptoms appeared to be strikingly similar to those suffered by
humans with advanced leprosy, including lesions and 'claw' hand.

"We contacted Professor Fabian Leendertz from the Robert Koch Institute to confirm these cases genetically." Following these findings, Professor Leendertz and Dr Roman Wittig from the Max- Planck-Institute for
Evolutionary Anthropology identified further cases of leprosy at their
study site, Tai National Park, Ivory Coast.



==========================================================================
An autopsy of an older female, as well as faecal samples of an adult
male that started showing symptoms, also confirmed leprosy.

Although the study is the first to report leprosy in wild chimpanzees,
there have been cases in captive chimps.

"The strains identified in each chimpanzee population are different,
and both are rare in humans and other animal reservoirs worldwide,"
said Dr Charlotte Avanzi, from Colorado State University.

"This study unlocks a new step toward the understanding of the disease transmission in endemic countries and more investigations will eventually
shed light on the dynamic of transmission between human, animal and environmental sources." Dr Hockings added: "In Guinea-Bissau it is
possible that chimpanzees somehow acquired leprosy from humans in this
shared landscape, although people do not kill or eat chimpanzees.

"It is clear that leprosy is now being transmitted between separate
chimpanzee communities." Professor Leendertz added: "In the Ivory Coast, chimpanzees are more distant from human settlements and it seems more
likely that the chimpanzees acquired the infection from another animal
species, or from an environmental source such as ticks or bacteria
living in water." Leprosy in humans is easily treated with medication,
but the impact on chimpanzees is hard to predict.

"Western chimpanzees are critically endangered, so even the loss of a
few individuals could be significant," said Dr Hockings.

"Long-term health monitoring and research is needed to establish the
scale and possible effects of leprosy among wild western chimpanzees,"
said Dr Wittig.

The international research team included authors from West Africa,
Europe and the USA.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Exeter. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kimberley J. Hockings, Benjamin Mubemba, Charlotte Avanzi,
Kamilla Pleh,
Ariane Du"x, Elena Bersacola, Joana Bessa, Marina Ramon, Sonja
Metzger, Livia V. Patrono, Jenny E. Jaffe, Andrej Benjak, Camille
Bonneaud, Philippe Busso, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Moussa Gado,
Sebastien Gagneux, Roch C. Johnson, Mamoudou Kodio, Joshua
Lynton-Jenkins, Irina Morozova, Kerstin Ma"tz-Rensing, Aissa
Regalla, Abi'lio R. Said, Verena J.

Schuenemann, Samba O. Sow, John S. Spencer, Markus Ulrich, Hyacinthe
Zoubi, Stewart T. Cole, Roman M. Wittig, Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer
& Fabian H. Leendertz. Leprosy in wild chimpanzees. Nature, 2021
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03968-4 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211013114023.htm

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