Trichuris
trichiura is
the third most common nematode infection in humans (>600 million people
infected), predominately in children. Infection occurs from consumption of food,
water or soil contaminated with larvated eggs. To prevent infection, focus has
been placed on hygiene education, sanitation and mass deworming of children. Preliminary data indicates that African Green Monkeys (AGM; Chlorocebus aethiops) on St. Kitts are infected with a strain of T. trichiura that also infects humans. We hypothesized that
infections in AGM pose a zoonotic threat to humans. Feces from trapped AGM (69 samples, n=69) were found
to contain T. trichiura eggs. The Biomedical Science Foundation
trapped AGM between 16 and 26 of January 2015 from Tabernacle, Phillips and
Estridge Mountains, Monkey Hill, West Farm and Saddler’s St. Kitts. All
procedures were conducted under an approved IACUC protocol or SOP. Rainfall
from the mountain locations was determined to feed into surface water collection
areas for human consumption and/or dams for agriculture irrigation. Approximately
30% of the water for human consumption on St. Kitts is from surface water
treated via sedimentation, sands filters and chlorination; however, T. trichiura eggs are only effectively
removed via sedimentation. Dam water for irrigation is not treated. Therefore,
there is the potential for monkey feces with T. Trichiura eggs to contaminate drinking and irrigation water. A
One-Health approach is required to ensure that previous controls are not lost
due to a new source of infection.