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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 78(4), 2008, pp. 646-653
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Malaria and Hepatocystis Species in Wild Macaques, Southern Thailand

Sunee Seethamchai, Chaturong Putaporntip*, Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Liwang Cui, AND Somchai Jongwutiwes
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, and Primate Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Biology, Naresuan University, Pitsanulok Province, Thailand; Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Southeast Asian macaques are natural hosts for a number of nonhuman primate malaria parasites; some of these can cause diseases in humans. We conducted a cross-sectional survey by collecting 99 blood samples from Macaca fascicularis in southern Thailand. Giemsa-stained blood films showed five (5.1%) positive samples and six (6.1%) isolates had positive test results by polymerase chain reaction. A phylogenetic tree inferred from the A-type sequences of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene confirmed Plasmodium inui in five macaques; one of these macaques was co-infected with P. coatneyi. Hepatocystis, a hemoprotozoan parasite transmitted by Culicoides, was identified in an isolate that was confirmed by analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. All malaria-infected monkeys lived in mangrove forests, but no infected monkeys were found in an urban area. These findings indicate regional differences in malaria distribution among these macaques, as well as differences in potential risk of disease transmission to humans.

Received December 15, 2007. Accepted for publication January 16, 2008.

Acknowledgments: We thank Yuzuru Hamada and Shunji Goto and Chutinan Areekul for assisting in the field study; Malee Charoenkorn and Thongchai Hongsrimuang for excellent technical assistance; and Netnaphis Warnnissorn for comments.

Financial support: This study was supported by the National Research Council of Thailand; The Thailand Research Fund (grant RMU5080002 to Chaturong Putaporntip); and the Ananthamahidol Foundation (Somchai Jongwutiwes).

* Address correspondence to Chaturong Putaporntip, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. E-mail: fmedcpt{at}md2.md.chula.ac.th

Authors’ addresses: Sunee Seethamchai, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Pitsanulok Province, Thailand. Chaturong Putaporntip and Somchai Jongwutiwes, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Rama 4, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand. Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Rama 4, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand. Liwang Cui, Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.






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Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.