Campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, and shigellosis in free-ranging human-habituated mountain gorillas of Uganda

For conservation purposes and due to growing ecotourism, free-ranging mount ain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) have been habituated to humans. Fec al specimens (n = 62) collected in January 1999 from mountain gorillas of t he Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks, Uganda, were tested for Campylobacte r spp., Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp., and the overall prevalence of i nfection was 19%, 13%, and 6%, respectively. The prevalence of positive spe cimens was not related to the year of habituation of a gorilla group to hum ans. Campylobacter spp., Salmonella, and Shigella spp. infections were not distributed equally among the age classes of gorillas: most of the enteropa thogens (80%), and all Shigella spp. organisms, S. sonnei, S. boydii, and S . flexneri, were isolated from subadults and adult gorillas with ages rangi ng from 6.0 to 11.9 yr. The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. infections among human-habituated gorillas has doubled during the las t 4 yr, and isolation of Shigella spp. for the first time from mountain gor illas, may indicate enhanced anthropozoonotic transmission of these enterop athogens.