A coprological survey of zoonotic tapeworm Bertiella spp. in free living nonhuman primate in Brazil

Abstract Background Bertiella genus is parasitic tapeworms of non-human primates in nature. B. studeri and B. mucronata have been identified in children and adults with some contact or association with non-human primates. This study aimed to identify zoonotic tapeworms of the genus Bertiella in stool samples from Alouatta guariba clamitans, a primate from the New World, living free in a human community. Methods The study of Bertiella spp. comprised a coprological survey of feces collected from 131 brown howler monkeys, male and female, infant and adult, from free-living troops in nine neighborhoods in southern Porto Alegre, including places with increasing anthropization and population pressure, and an estimated population of 83,312 inhabitants. The study lasted four years (2015 to 2018), with stool samples collected from primates under care at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As per usual protocol, all wild animals treated at the Center undergo parasitological examination. Individual freshly collected samples were subjected to the Willis-Mollay method and the Lutz technique. Results The average prevalence of Bertiella spp. was 31.3% (41/131). The annual frequencies were 27.3% (6/22), 30% (11/37), 25% (5/20) and 36.5% (19/52), respectively for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Conclusions The results demonstrate that Bertiella spp. was present in parasitic fauna over the four years studied and represents a zoonotic potential. Therefore, these methods should be carried out routinely, as they help in the appropriate treatment when necessary. The control and the prevention of this zoonosis are difficult since the intermediate hosts are cosmopolitan. It is suggested that an epidemiological inquiry in humans be performed to ascertain the true prevalence of this parasitosis. Key messages Create a schedule of routine test with underserved populations to monitor zoonoses. Poor communities need to be included in government programs.