Haematological and serological findings in Cercopithecus aethiops(African green monkeys) with Cyclospora infections in Kenya

Abstract

Cyclospora,is a common cause of gastroenteritis in humans resulting in protracted life threat¬ening diarrhoea in immunocompromised patients worldwide.Cyclospora infections have been reported in African green monkeys. The objective of the study was to determine the haema¬tological and serological parameters in African green monkeys with Cyclospora infections.A cross-sectional laboratory based study was done at Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, from March 2008 to June 2009. Thirty three African green monkeys comprising of 10 male adults, 7 female adults, 3 male juveniles and 13 female juveniles were analysed for blood cell counts using a haematological analyser and screened for Cyclospora by ELISA. The red blood cell counts decreased in all study animals with mean decline of 1.2-1.5 (x 106/µl). The white blood cell counts varied among the study animals with highest increase among female adults from4.3-7.1 to 5.4-8.8 (x 103 /µl) and a decrease among the male adults from 3.9-8.7 to 1.5-5.3 (x 103/µl). Positive antibody responses to Cyclospora were observed in 20 of the study animals with highest mean optical density (OD) values of 0.816 ± 0.100 observed among the female juveniles and lowest among the male juveniles at mean OD value of 0.646 ± 0.055. In conclusion, Cyclospora infections triggered both cellular and humoral responses in the African green monkeys.