THE PRESENCE OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS IN STOOLS OF CLINICALLY DIARRHEIC AND NORMAL NONHUMAN-PRIMATES IN KENYA

A total of 114 nonhuman primates comprising 51 vervet monkeys (Cercopi thecus aethiops) and 63 olive baboons (Papio anubis) were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts using the modified Kinyoun's acid-fast staini ng technique. About 51.7% (59/114) of all the specimens examined, repr esenting 78.4% (40/51) of the vervet monkeys and 30.1% (19/63) of the olive baboons were positive. Bright red, refractile Cryptosporidium oo cysts were observed in the stained faecal smears against a blue backgr ound. Up to 4/6 (66.7%) of the diarrhoeic vervets and 2/3 (66.7%) babo ons, respectively, were positive while the rest were negative. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first on cryptosporidiosis i n old world nonhuman primates in Kenya and probably the first report o f the infection in olive baboons. Given the high frequency of oocysts in diarrhoeal specimens, the parasite may have been associated with cl inical diarrhoea in the sampled animals. Cryptosporidium, which has be en reported in humans in Kenya, is also suspected to occur in livestoc k. Its isolation from clinically ill, normal colony-borne and newly ca ught feral nonhuman primates has significant implications for both pub lic health and animal agriculture in Kenya. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.