Prevalence and Molecular Identification of spp. in Non-human Primates in a Zoological Garden in Nanjing, China.

Objective: spp. are globally distributed zoonotic parasites that infect various hosts, among which non-human primates (NHPs) have been identified as one of the most common hosts of these parasites. Consequently, the infections of spp. in captive NHPs from Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo in China were investigated in order to assess their zoonotic potential.

Methods: A total of 120 fresh fecal samples, including 19 species of NHPs, were collected from four breeding bases of the zoo from May to June 2019. The infections of six species of spp. were detected by PCR using the 16S or 18S rDNA-specific primers, and the positive samples were sequenced and analyzed.

Results: spp. were detected as positive in 59 NHPs fecal samples (49.17%), including five species: (7.50%), (22.50%), (22.50%), (10.00%) and (1.67%). Infection with one species was more common (35%) than co-infections (13.33%) or infections with three species (0.83%). There was a significantly higher prevalence rate of spp. in the species and than in sp., , and .

Conclusion: spp. are highly prevalent in the NHPs raised in Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo. Therefore, attention should be paid to the development of containment strategies of spp. in this zoological garden.