The prevalence of Balantidium coli infection in fifty-six mammalian species

A total of 375 fecal samples of 56 mammalian species belonging to 17 famili es of 4 orders were examined for the detection of Balantidium coli from Dec ember 1994 to August 1995. As a result, B. call was found from 6 species be longing to 4 families of 2 orders (Primates and Artiodactyla) of host anima ls examined. White-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar), squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciurea) and Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata) were new hosts for B. coli. All the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) examined we re positive. The highest number of B. coli was obtained from a chimpanzee ( 1,230/g feces). No B. coil was detected from the animals of orders Rodentia and Carnivore including dogs and cats. The rarity of B. coli infection in breeding animals in Japan suggests that there is no serious problem in cont rolling infections.