article · Journal of Scientific Research and Reports
Close physical contact between humans and non-human primates creates opportunities for the transmission of infectious bacteria. A cross-sectional investigation assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli in Guenon monkeys and human populations, including zoo workers and nearby residents, at the Limbe Zoological Garden. Over four months, fecal samples were gathered, cultured, and examined through biochemical and disk diffusion susceptibility tests. The bacterium was present in 48.1 percent of the monkeys and 33.0 percent of the humans tested. Isolates from both groups exhibited very high resistance to imipenem and metronidazole, reaching up to 100 percent. Multidrug resistance was identified in all monkey isolates and 93.3 percent of human isolates. These findings emphasise the need for ongoing surveillance of drug-resistant pathogens in captive animal environments.
The presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in animals living near humans presents a direct public health threat. When captive primates carry pathogens that withstand critical antibiotics such as imipenem, the risk of transferring difficult-to-treat infections to caretakers and local communities increases significantly, highlighting the need for stricter hygiene, monitoring, and containment strategies in zoological settings.
The findings provide early-stage surveillance data that could inform public health agencies and zoo management organisations in designing biosecurity and antimicrobial stewardship programmes. However, because this is an observational cross-sectional study, the abstract does not indicate a direct pathway towards commercial products or technologies.
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Aims: The close phylogenetic relationship between humans and other primates creates high potential for pathogen exchange. Guenon monkeys, often found in close proximity with humans are potential reservoirs for bacteria. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Escherichia coli isolates in Guenon monkeys and humans, and to characterize their antibiotic resistance profiles. Study Design: This study was a cross-sectional study involving Guenon monkeys, workers in the Limbe Zoological Garden and the population around the zoological garden. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Limbe Zoological Garden over a period of four (4) months, from March to July 2024. Methodology: Fecal samples were obtained from human and non-human primates, cultured and identified using biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. Results: The prevalence of Escherichia coli in humans was 33.0% (30/91) while in Guenon monkeys it was 48.1% (25/52). Escherichia coli isolates from Guenon monkeys were highly resistant to Imipenem (100%) and Metronidazole (100%), while isolates from humans showed the highest resistance to metronidazole (100%) and Imipenem (96.7%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 28 (93.3%) of the human isolates and 25 (100%) of the monkey isolates, although the difference was not significant (P= 0.495). Conclusion: Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic bacteria is crucial for developing effective strategies to combat drug resistance. This study enhances our knowledge on antibiotic sensitivity among human and non-human primate bacteria. It underscores the importance of continually identifying pathogenic microbes in these species, particularly in confined animals with frequent direct or indirect interaction with humans.
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DOI: 10.9734/jsrr/2025/v31i113672
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