Giardia duodenalis is one of the most common intestinal parasites of humans, with a worldwide distribution. Giardia duodenalis has been reported in both wild and captive populations of non-human primates, namely chimpanzees. In this study we investigated an entire troop of clinically healthy chimpanzees (n = 21) for the presence of G. duodenalis and its association with faecal microbiota profile. Faecal samples (n = 26) were collected from the chimpanzee exhibit from a zoo in Sydney, Australia. Diagnosis of G. duodenalis was made using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) as a point-of-care-test and compared to a reference standard real-time PCR test. Approximately half of the chimpanzee faecal samples tested positive for G. duodenalis by both RAT (13/26, 50%) and real-time PCR (14/26, 53.85%). The RAT sensitivity was 85.7% (95% CI: 63.8%-96%) and specificity was 91.7% (95% CI: 68.3%-99%) when compared to the in-house real-time PCR. Genotyping of the samples revealed the presence of zoonotic assemblage B. Microscopic analysis revealed the presence of Troglodytella spp. (14/26), Balantioides sp. (syn. Balantidium sp.) (8/26) as well as Entamoeba spp. (3/26). Microbiota profile based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that the community was significantly different between G. duodenalis positive and negative samples if RAT results were taken into an account, but not real-time PCR diagnostics results. Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi were the significant features in the dataset that separated G. duodenalis positive and negative samples using LEfSe analysis. Being able to rapidly test for G. duodenalis in captive populations of primates assists in point-of-care diagnostics and may better identify animals with subclinical disease. Under the investigated conditions of the zoo setting, however, presence of G. duodenalis either detected by RAT or real-time PCR was not associated with clinically apparent disease in captive chimpanzees.

• Klíčová slova
• Commensal, Diagnostics, Giardiasis, Microbiome, Parasite, Zoo animals, Zoonosis,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Entodiniomorphid ciliates are intestinal protists inhabiting the colons of African great apes. The participation of intestinal entodiniomorphid ciliates in ape hindgut digestion has been proposed, but little data have been available to support the hypothesis. We measured the specific activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase, inulinase, and α-amylase against different polysaccharides in the feces of captive chimpanzees and evaluated the participation of the entodiniomorphid ciliate, Troglodytella abrassarti, in these activities. T. abrassarti contributed to the total fecal hydrolytic activities of CM-cellulase by 16.2%, α-amylase by 5.95%, and xylanase by 0.66%. Inulinase activity in T. abrassarti samples was not measurable at reaction conditions used. The ciliates, T. abrassarti, actively participate in the chimpanzee hindgut fermentation of fiber and starch.

• MeSH
• Ciliophora enzymologie   MeSH
• feces parazitologie   MeSH
• hydrolýza MeSH
• kolon metabolismus   parazitologie   MeSH
• Pan troglodytes metabolismus   parazitologie   MeSH
• polysacharidy metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• polysacharidy MeSH