Leprosy in wild chimpanzees

Kimberley J. Hockings, Benjamin Mubemba, Charlotte Avanzi, Kamilla Pleh, Ariane Düx, Elena Bersacola, Joana Bessa, Marina Ramon, Sonja Metzger, Livia V. Patrono, Jenny E. Jaffe, Andrej Benjak, Camille Bonneaud, Philippe Busso, Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann, Moussa Gado, Sebastien Gagneux, Roch C. Johnson, Mamoudou Kodio, Joshua Lynton-Jenkins, Irina Morozova, Kerstin Mätz-Rensing, Aissa Regalla, Abílio R. Said, Verena J. Schuenemann, Samba O. Sow, John S. Spencer, Markus Ulrich, Hyacinthe Zoubi, Stewart T. Cole, Roman M. Wittig, Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer and Fabian H. Leendertz ()
Additional contact information
Kimberley J. Hockings: University of Exeter
Benjamin Mubemba: Robert Koch Institute
Charlotte Avanzi: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Kamilla Pleh: Robert Koch Institute
Ariane Düx: Robert Koch Institute
Elena Bersacola: University of Exeter
Joana Bessa: Centre for Research in Anthropology (CRIA – NOVA FCSH)
Marina Ramon: University of Exeter
Sonja Metzger: Robert Koch Institute
Livia V. Patrono: Robert Koch Institute
Jenny E. Jaffe: Robert Koch Institute
Andrej Benjak: University of Bern
Camille Bonneaud: University of Exeter
Philippe Busso: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Emmanuel Couacy-Hymann: Laboratoire National d’Appui au Développement Agricole/Laboratoire Central de Pathologie Animale
Moussa Gado: Ministry of Public Health
Sebastien Gagneux: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Roch C. Johnson: University of Abomey-Calavi, Jericho
Mamoudou Kodio: Centre National d’Appui à la Lutte Contre la Maladie
Joshua Lynton-Jenkins: University of Exeter
Irina Morozova: University of Zurich
Kerstin Mätz-Rensing: Leibniz‐Institute for Primate Research
Aissa Regalla: Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas, Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva (IBAP)
Abílio R. Said: Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas, Dr. Alfredo Simão da Silva (IBAP)
Verena J. Schuenemann: University of Zurich
Samba O. Sow: Centre National d’Appui à la Lutte Contre la Maladie
John S. Spencer: Colorado State University
Markus Ulrich: Robert Koch Institute
Hyacinthe Zoubi: Programme National d’Elimination de la Lèpre
Stewart T. Cole: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Roman M. Wittig: Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques
Sebastien Calvignac-Spencer: Robert Koch Institute
Fabian H. Leendertz: Robert Koch Institute

Nature, 2021, vol. 598, issue 7882, 652-656

Abstract: Abstract Humans are considered as the main host for Mycobacterium leprae1, the aetiological agent of leprosy, but spillover has occurred to other mammals that are now maintenance hosts, such as nine-banded armadillos and red squirrels2,3. Although naturally acquired leprosy has also been described in captive nonhuman primates4–7, the exact origins of infection remain unclear. Here we describe leprosy-like lesions in two wild populations of western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau and Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Longitudinal monitoring of both populations revealed the progression of disease symptoms compatible with advanced leprosy. Screening of faecal and necropsy samples confirmed the presence of M. leprae as the causative agent at each site and phylogenomic comparisons with other strains from humans and other animals show that the chimpanzee strains belong to different and rare genotypes (4N/O and 2F). These findings suggest that M. leprae may be circulating in more wild animals than suspected, either as a result of exposure to humans or other unknown environmental sources.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03968-4

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