Scientists used camera traps to study the behavior of chimpanzees between 2015 and 2019. According to the study, upon viewing the images, the researchers found two men and two women with “severe leprosy-like lesions.” The symptoms – similar to those experienced by humans – progressed over time.
“When I first saw images of a chimpanzee with nodules and sores on its face, I immediately thought it was leprosy because it looked like leprosy,” said Kimberley Hawkings, a senior lecturer in conservation science. University of Exeter in the United Kingdom and one of the study’s authors told CNN on Thursday.
The study said it is not yet known exactly how the chimpanzees became infected, but it is believed to result from exposure to either humans or “other unknown environmental sources”.
Leprosy has previously been seen in wild animals, such as red squirrels in the UK and armadillos in the US, but leprosy “suddenly turns into chimpanzees because they are so well researched,” Hawkings said. was shocking.
She said there will now be further research into how wild chimpanzees are exposed to the disease and what it means for species already threatened due to factors such as hunting and habitat loss.
Hawkings said the discovery was concerning for conservation efforts and researchers.
This could prove challenging as far as treating leprosy in wild chimpanzees is concerned.
“The treatment of leprosy in humans is relatively simple, especially if it is diagnosed early,” Hawkings said.
“But for animals that are not habituated to humans, such as these particular populations, it is very difficult to administer antibiotics. There are barriers to treating animals for leprosy and we need to consider the ethical implications of darting to chimpanzees. Which raises the question that treatment is complicated.”
Hawkings said she would incorporate this finding into her broader research, which has centered around human and great ape interactions, as humans have traditionally been thought to be the main hosts of leprosy – and now it suddenly appears in wild chimpanzees. I can see.
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