Age-related effects on malaria parasite infection in wild chimpanzees |
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| Authors: | Hélène M De Nys Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer Ursula Thiesen Christophe Boesch Roman M Wittig Roger Mundry Fabian H Leendertz |
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| Institution: | 1.Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany;2.Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Wild great apes are widely infected with a number of malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.). Yet, nothing is known about the biology of these infections in the wild. Using faecal samples collected from wild chimpanzees, we investigated the effect of age on Plasmodium spp. detection rates. The data show a strong association between age and malaria parasite positivity, with significantly lower detection rates in adults. This suggests that, as in humans, individuals reaching adulthood have mounted an effective protective immunity against malaria parasites. |
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| Keywords: | Pan troglodytes verus wild great apes Plasmodium malaria parasites |
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