Long-term infection of Schistosoma mansoni in a vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops)

Schistosoma mansoni infection in Cercopithecus species monkeys has been previously monitored for up to five years. This is an account of observations made during an autopsy on a male vervet monkey which had harboured the parasite for 15 years. Viable eggs had been recovered from the faeces throughout the infection, being hatched to observe the emergence of miracidia. Apart from a nodular appearance of the liver capsule, which was noted before the perfusion, and localized haemorrhaging in the large bowel there was comparatively little pathology attributable to the parasite. 86 worms were recovered from the mesenteries by perfusion. The distribution of worm eggs in the tissues was mainly in these two organs, although with the remarkably low incidence of granuloma it is likely that the schistosome infection would have been overlooked in a routine autopsy. It is stressed that these observations have been made on an individual animal, but it is felt that there is real significance with respect to the aetiology of natural transmission.