01699nas a2200373   4500000000100000008004100001260006000042653002000102653001200122653002600134653002400160653001700184653001500201653002800216653001600244653001200260653002500272653002000297653003000317653003600347653001300383100001200396700001200408700001500420700001200435700001500447700001500462700001300477245003100490300001000521490000700531520077300538022001401311       2011                            d  c2011 FebbNihon Hansenbyō GakkaiaHigashimurayama-shi 10aAfrica, Western10aAnimals10aAntibodies, Bacterial10aAntigens, Bacterial10aApe Diseases10aBiomarkers10aDiagnosis, Differential10aGlycolipids10aleprosy10aMycobacterium leprae10aPan troglodytes10apolymerase chain reaction10aPolymorphism, Single Nucleotide10aZoonoses1 aIshii N1 aUdono T1 aFujisawa M1 aIdani G1 aTanigawa K1 aMiyamura T1 aSuzuki K00a[Leprosy in a chimpanzee].  a29-360 v803 a<p>Leprosy is suspected to develop after a long period of latency following infection with Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) during infancy, but definitive proof has been lacking. We found a rare case of leprosy in a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) born in West Africa (Sierra Leone) and brought to Japan around 2 years of age. At 31, the ape started exhibiting pathognomic signs of leprosy. Pathological diagnosis, skin smear, serum anti-phenolic glycolipid-I (PGL-I) antibody, and by PCR analysis demonstrated lepromatous leprosy. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis verified the West African origin of the bacilli. This occurrence suggests the possibility of leprosy being endemic among wild chimpanzees in West Africa, potentially posing a zoonotic risk.</p>  a1342-3681