Widespread Treponema pallidum Infection in Nonhuman Primates, Tanzania

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1002 - 1009
• Main Authors: Chuma, Idrissa S, Batamuzi, Emmanuel K, Collins, D Anthony, Fyumagwa, Robert D, Hallmaier-Wacker, Luisa K, Kazwala, Rudovick R, Keyyu, Julius D, Lejora, Inyasi A, Lipende, Iddi F, Lüert, Simone, Paciência, Filipa M D, Piel, Alexander, Stewart, Fiona A, Zinner, Dietmar, Roos, Christian, Knauf, Sascha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.06.2018; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Africa; Animals; Antibodies; Cross-Sectional Studies; eradication; Female; Genes, Bacterial; Geography, Medical; Health aspects; Infection; Infection in Nonhuman Primates, Tanzania; Male; Medical research; nonhuman primates; Primate Diseases - diagnosis; Primate Diseases - epidemiology; Primate Diseases - microbiology; Primates; Serologic Tests; Skin; spirochetes; Symptom Assessment; Tanzania - epidemiology; Treponema; Treponema pallidum - genetics; Treponema pallidum - immunology; Widespread; yaws; Yaws - veterinary; Tanzania; Germany; infection; bacteria; eradication; Africa; Tanzania; spirochetes; nonhuman primates; yaws; One Health; Treponema pallidum
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2406.180037

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.