Introduction
The Nematoda comprise the most abundant of all animals on earth and they can parasitize a large number organisms. Reports of Nematodes that inflict primates are usually zoonotic and of these Pinworms (Genus Enterobius) which are common in humans has been identified in orang-utans (Foitova et al 2008; Strait et al 2012). Four species have been documented Enterobius buckleyi, E. faecundus, E. simiae and E.vermicularis. Since both species of orang-utan (Pongo abelii, P.pygmaeus) are endangered their conservation is vital, thus understanding the pathogenicity of this parasite to be able to treat and control its spread. However there is still inadequate information on orang-utan parasites overall, including how the nematode infection can change over time and species. The largest study to date was collected from captive orang-utans (Frazier-Taylor and Karesh 1987) and studies on nematode infection from in the wild are even rarer. With gaps in are knowledge, I will be incorporating findings from other non-human primates studies to illustrate some …show more content…
Treatment can reduce the amount of worms, Bentzel (2007) tested pyrantel pamoate on Aotus nancymae and concluded it was a fast acting anthelmintic. However because the chances of reinfection is high, these doses need to be repeated over a fortnightly basis and joined with effective sanitation. The costs of doing this might be too much for some conservation groups. A more appropriate method might be to further study self-medication in primates. Zoopharmacognosy describes the use of plants by animals that can act as medicine. Chimpanzee have been heavily studied, on the reduction of parasites (Moscovice et al 2007), the digestion of pith could be an adaption of decreasing the amount of Oesophagostomum infections. Furthermore geophagy is used by some primates to help maintain their