Widespread Treponema pallidum Infection in Nonhuman Primates, Tanzania.
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Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
centers for disease control and prevention.
Abstract
We investigated Treponema pallidum infection in 8 nonhuman primate species (289 animals) in Tanzania during 2015–2017. We used a serologic treponemal test to detect antibodies against the bacterium. Infection was further confirmed from tissue samples of skin-ulcerated animals by 3 independent PCRs (polA, tp47, and TP_0619). Our findings indicate that T. pallidum infection is geographically widespread in Tanzania and occurs in several species (olive baboons, yellow baboons, vervet monkeys, and blue monkeys). We found the bacterium at 11 of 14 investigated geographic locations. Anogenital ulceration was the most common clinical manifestation; orofacial lesions also were observed. Molecular data show that nonhuman primates in Tanzania are most likely infected with T. pallidum subsp. pertenue–like strains, which could have implications for human yaws eradication.
Description
Emerging Infectious Disease .Vol. 24, No. 6—June 2018
Keywords
Treponema., Infection., Primates., Tanzania., Species., Pallidum infection.