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Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the Nicobar long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosus) on the Nicobar Group of Islands, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India
2 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
3 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, India
4 Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India; Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
5 Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru 570 006, India
6 Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108,, India
 Untitled  

Changes in the habitat can drive the species to adapt to the changing environment that may lead to a risk of infection and the emergence of diseases. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (henceforth endoparasites) in a species is an indicator of changing habitat conditions, and the study of the same is important when the species is restricted to a few islands. Macaca fascicularis umbrosus, endemic to Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal islands. The December 2004 tsunami destroyed much of its habitat and pushed them to agriculture fields, leading to a conflict. To study the endoparasites in these macaques, we collected 160 faecal samples from five groups of macaques on Great Nicobar, one group on Little Nicobar, and two groups on Katchal between 2014 and 2016. The endo­parasite eggs and cysts were isolated from the faecal samples using flotation concentration and sedi­mentation techniques in the laboratory. The number and percent prevalence of endoparasites recorded in Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal was 13, 5 and 3, and 69.38%, 60.00% and 39.39% respectively. The Campbell Bay group on Great Nicobar had 12, whereas other groups had 2–7 endoparasite taxa. The protozoan load was higher than the helminth load but the overall, helminth, and protozoan load did not differ between the islands. Ascaris sp., Oesophagostomum sp., Strongyloide ssp., Bunostomum sp. and Balantidium coli were the predominant endoparasites. The persistence of macaque with people probably has increased the richness and prevalence of endoparasites on Great Nicobar than in the other two islands.

Keywords

Changing habitat, faecal samples, gastrointestinal parasites, islands, long-tailed macaque.
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  • Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in the Nicobar long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosus) on the Nicobar Group of Islands, India

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Authors

Shanthala Kumar
Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India
Honnavalli N. Kumara
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
Avadhoot D. Velankar
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, India
Partha Sarathi Mishra
Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India; Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India
Arijit Pal
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, India
P. Sundararaj
Department of Zoology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore 641 046, India
Mewa Singh
Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysuru 570 006, India
S. Vinoth
Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatty Post, Coimbatore 641 108,, India

Abstract


Changes in the habitat can drive the species to adapt to the changing environment that may lead to a risk of infection and the emergence of diseases. The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (henceforth endoparasites) in a species is an indicator of changing habitat conditions, and the study of the same is important when the species is restricted to a few islands. Macaca fascicularis umbrosus, endemic to Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal islands. The December 2004 tsunami destroyed much of its habitat and pushed them to agriculture fields, leading to a conflict. To study the endoparasites in these macaques, we collected 160 faecal samples from five groups of macaques on Great Nicobar, one group on Little Nicobar, and two groups on Katchal between 2014 and 2016. The endo­parasite eggs and cysts were isolated from the faecal samples using flotation concentration and sedi­mentation techniques in the laboratory. The number and percent prevalence of endoparasites recorded in Great Nicobar, Little Nicobar and Katchal was 13, 5 and 3, and 69.38%, 60.00% and 39.39% respectively. The Campbell Bay group on Great Nicobar had 12, whereas other groups had 2–7 endoparasite taxa. The protozoan load was higher than the helminth load but the overall, helminth, and protozoan load did not differ between the islands. Ascaris sp., Oesophagostomum sp., Strongyloide ssp., Bunostomum sp. and Balantidium coli were the predominant endoparasites. The persistence of macaque with people probably has increased the richness and prevalence of endoparasites on Great Nicobar than in the other two islands.

Keywords


Changing habitat, faecal samples, gastrointestinal parasites, islands, long-tailed macaque.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi10%2F1199-1208