"Nature" reported that leprosy was found in wild chimpanzees for the first time

Human leprosy is an ancient specific infectious disease.

Today, a new study from "Nature" shows that leprosy was first discovered in wild chimpanzees

Researchers have confirmed that cases of the disease have been found in two unconnected populations of West African chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast

The analysis published in the journal Nature shows that the strains of leprosy are different, and both are not common in humans

The origin of the infection is not yet clear, but a research team led by the University of Exeter and the Koch Institute said that the results show that leprosy may be spread in more wild animals than previously suspected, due to contact with humans or Other unknown environmental sources

Humans are considered to be the main host of Mycobacterium leprosy, but it is known to "spread" to other mammals, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels (eating or contacting these "games" may cause leprosy )

The lead author of the study, Dr.

"Surprisingly, it also happens to be our closest relative, the chimpanzee, especially considering that chimpanzees have been thoroughly studied in the wild

"We first discovered possible symptoms of leprosy in a group of chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau

"These symptoms seem surprisingly similar to those of patients with advanced leprosy, including lesions and'claw-like' hands

"We contacted Professor Fabian Lundz of the Robert Koch Institute to genetically confirm these cases

After these discoveries, Professor Lundz and Dr.

An autopsy of an elderly female and stool samples of an adult male who began to show symptoms also confirmed leprosy

Although this study is the first time that leprosy has been found in wild chimpanzees, cases of leprosy have also been found in chimpanzees in captivity
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Dr.
Charlotte Awanzi of Colorado State University said: "The strains found in each chimpanzee population are different, and these two strains are rare in humans and other animal hosts in the world
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"This research opens a new step in understanding the spread of diseases in endemic countries, and more investigations will eventually shed light on the dynamics of transmission among humans, animals, and environmental sources
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Dr.
Hawkins added: “In Guinea-Bissau, chimpanzees may have contracted leprosy from humans on this shared land in some way, even though people did not kill or eat chimpanzees
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"It is clear that leprosy is now spreading between different chimpanzee communities
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Professor Lundtz added: “In Ivory Coast, chimpanzees are farther away from human habitation, and they seem to be more likely to get infections from other animal species or environmental sources (such as ticks or bacteria living in the water)
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Human leprosy is easy to treat with drugs, but its impact on chimpanzees is difficult to predict
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Dr.
Hawkins said: "The chimpanzees in the west are critically endangered, so the deaths of even a few chimpanzees can be significant
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Dr.
Wittig said: "Long-term health monitoring and research are needed to determine the scale and possible impact of leprosy in wild chimpanzees in the west
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The international research team includes authors from West Africa, Europe and the United States
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The title of this study is "Leprosy in Wild Chimpanzees"
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Nature

DOI

10.
1038/s41586-021-03968-4

Article Title

Leprosy in wild chimpanzees