Gastrointestinal Parasites Of Public Health Importance In Cercopithecus Mona Of Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary In The Afadjato South District Of Ghana

Abstract

Transmission of pathogens from animals to humans accounts for over 60% of infectious diseases in humans and 75% of all zoonotic diseases emanate from wild rather than domestic animals. Tafi Atome monkey sanctuary is a conserved grove that surrounds human population and serves as a habitat for many troops of habituated Cercopithecus mona (mona monkeys) that welcome many tourists annually and generate revenue for the district assembly. The habitat sharing bridges the human animal interface, providing avenue for pathogen trade-off between cohabited human and mona monkeys populations. This study aimed at characterising gastrointestinal parasites of public health importance in these monkeys at the Tafi Atome monkey sanctuary in the Afadjato South District of Ghana. Stool samples of school-aged children and faecal samples of mona monkeys were collected, processed and examined microscopically for parasite infection status. Using morphological characteristics, three genera of helminths and one protozoan were identified in both humans and mona monkey. The helminths were Hookworm, Strongyloides and Ascaris, while the protozoan was Giardia lamblia. Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in humans (47.6%) and mona monkeys (26.4%) was statistically significant (χ²(df) = 12.96(1); p= 0.0003), but prevalence was insignificant between the two sampling areas of Tafi And Avatime Dzokpe (χ²(df) 2.944 (1); p=0.077). The highest gastrointestinal prevalence in humans was hookworm (21.09%) while in mona monkeys, Ascaris and Strongyloides (8.05%) were most prevalent. The sharing of parasites between humans and mona monkeys of the sanctuary could be indicative of possible zoonotic transmission. Regular administration of anthelminthic to the vulnerable groups in the catchment area of the sanctuary would be necessary to ameliorate the effects of gastrointestinal parasites in the human animal interface of Tafi Atome.