MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION, SYSTEMATICS & EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF STRONGYLOIDES SPP. IN ORANGUTANS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN WILD AND SEMI-WILD PONGO ABELII & PONGO PYGMAEUS
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Presenter’s Email: e.yalcindag@gmail.com Several pathogenic parasites threaten great apes survival. Parasites are primarily transmited between captive, semi captive and wild ape populations, between apes and other wildlife species and/or humans and their livestock. Several viral diseases and parasitic infections have been well-studied in African apes. However, the distribution and transmission of parasites in orangutans, (the only non-African great apes), are still comparatively poorly understood. Recently, the total number and distribution of orangutans has reduced drastically, primarily due to habitat lost. Several studies have been done on captive and semi-captive species. Information from wild populations is still missing. The aim of this study is to identify Strongyloides species infecting wild and semi-wild orangutans by carrying out PCR assays on 410 fecal samples collected by the Orangutan Health Project. These samples have been collected from 110 wild individual orangutans from 2004 to 2011 in 4 different sites in Indonesia from both Sumatra and Borneo. We will investigate; which Strongyloides species naturally infect orangutans and compare parasitic infection observed in the two Orangutans species, Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus. Factors including age, sex, time of year and population structure will be investigated to identify any risk factors associated with infection. Results will be discussed. The study was financially supported by the UMI - Saving of Pongidae Foundation and partly by GA P505/11/1163. |
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