Publication details
Patterns of intestinal parasite infection in wild Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii in Gunung Palung National Park
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| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Citation | |
| Description | Assessing parasite infection patterns helps us to understand the ecology and health of wild primate populations. This study monitored the intestinal parasites of Bornean orangutans in Gunung Palung National Park over one year. While many orangutan study sites consist of degraded secondary forest, Gunung Palung is comparatively pristine primary rainforest. Given that habitat degradation and contact with humans are known to alter parasite infection in primates, the orangutan population in Gunung Palung was predicted to display low parasite prevalence. Fecal samples were analyzed using direct smear and fecal concentration techniques. Parasites were identified based on morphological characteristics viewed through a light microscope. Each sample from every individual (N=38) that was sampled contained at least one type of parasite species. These results were surprising, as no other wild orangutan study thus far has reported 100% parasite prevalence. Strongyle-type eggs, Balantidium sp. and Entamoeba sp., each showed a prevalence approaching 100%. Trichuris sp. also showed remarkably high prevalence of 20%, while this genus is detected at or below 7% prevalence at other study sites. We discuss the orangutan behaviors, including socializing and ground travel, which may play a role in shaping these patterns. Methodological considerations and conservation issues may also help to explain these results. Our findings emphasize the importance of long-term monitoring of parasite infection to understand the influential factors of infection patterns. |