Enterobiasis in a wild captured Indian Langur

Abstract

India is home to many species of non-human primates, including the Gray langur or the Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus sp.). Enterobius vermicularis is a common helminth parasite of humans affecting 200 billion people worldwide, which majorly includes children below the age of 10 years. An adult Gray langur was presented to the Wildlife Research & Training Centre, Gorewada, Nagpur, with a history of automobile accident from one of the protected areas of Maharashtra, India. The post-mortem examination revealed a complete fracture of the skull and multiple fractures in the right and left forelimb leading to haemorrhage, and multiple organ failure was found to be the cause of the death. During the post-mortem, the large and small intestine was examined for parasites and few roundworms were found in the caecum of the animal. The sample was found to be positive for the eggs of Enterobius vermicularis. Micrometry studies were conducted to measure the dimensions of the eggs. The parasite has been transmitted to humans from wildlife at the wildlife-human interface in the past. The study has significant implications for the One Health approach to safeguard public health.