This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A 12-year study of rescued chimpanzees at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary (NICS) in Uganda has revealed persistent intestinal schistosomiasis infections, highlighting the need for long-term disease surveillance to protect endangered wildlife. The study, led by researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and international collaborators, followed almost 50 chimpanzees living on Ngamba Island in Lake Victoria, where intestinal schistosomiasis is highly endemic.
The disease is transmitted by infected snails along the shoreline, presenting an ongoing health challenge for the chimpanzees and the people who care for them. Although annual praziquantel treatment reduced infections, it was not enough to prevent ongoing transmission or progressive liver disease. Ultrasound examinations revealed worsening liver fibrosis in several animals, including advanced "pipe-stem" fibrosis, a severe and irreversible form of liver damage more commonly associated with long-standing human infection.
The findings, published in Parasitology, suggest that relying on treatment alone is unlikely to fully protect animals living in endemic areas. Instead, a One Health approach that provides more frequent treatment, regular health monitoring and environmental management is needed to safeguard their long-term welfare. The work also reinforces lessons from human schistosomiasis control programs around Lake Victoria, where repeated reinfection continues to limit progress despite widespread treatment campaigns.
The researchers hope their findings will encourage greater disease surveillance in chimpanzee sanctuaries across Africa and help inform future conservation and veterinary management strategies. Alexandra Juhász, lead author of the study and director of LSTM's MSc One Health in Tropical Disease, said, "Chimpanzees are a prominent endangered species globally, so maintaining their health is a conservation priority. We found that annual praziquantel treatment alone is not enough within an environment where animals are constantly exposed to infected water.
More frequent treatment, alongside regular monitoring, could help prevent the severe fibrotic liver damage we observed. "Our study also demonstrates the value of a One Health approach. The same parasite infects both humans and chimpanzees, while infected snails maintain transmission in the environment.
Understanding how these systems interact helps us protect wildlife while improving our understanding of human schistosomiasis more broadly." Schistosomiasis affects about 250 million people worldwide, predominantly across sub-Saharan Africa, but the disease also infects nonhuman primates. Because chimpanzees and humans can both carry Schistosoma mansoni, the findings demonstrate the importance of a One Health approach that considers the health of people, wildlife and the shared environment. NICS was founded 30 years ago by Dr.
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