猩猩身上首次发现恶性疟疾

The parasite¹ which causes malignant² malaria³ in humans has been identified in gorillas⁵ for the first time.

科学家在大猩猩身上首次发现存在于人类当中、可以引起恶性疟疾的寄生虫。

The malaria parasite was found in a sample from the cross river gorillla

Researchers analysed faeces from wild gorillas大猩猩 in Cameroon喀麦隆 and blood samples from a captive animal from Gabon加蓬.

The study says increasing contact between humans and primates灵长类 due to logging and deforestation森林采伐 raises the risk of transmission of new pathogens病原体.

The research findings are published in Proceedings⁷ of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

New genetic⁸ sampling techniques allowed scientists from France, Cameroon, Gabon and the US to examine evidence of malaria疟疾 parasites⁹寄生虫 in the faecal matter of wild gorillas and chimpanzees黑猩猩 in Cameroon.

"Sampling malaria parasites from apes in the wild has until now been very difficult", said Dr Francisco Ayala from the University of California, Irvine.

The team also took blood samples from wild born, pet animals in Gabon.

DNA¹⁰ evidence of Plasmodium falciparum恶性疟原虫, the parasite that causes malignant malaria in humans, was found in faecal渣滓的，排泄物的 samples from two gorilla⁴ subspecies亚种, the highly endangered cross-river gorilla and the western lowland gorilla.

The parasite was identified in a blood sample from a captive gorilla.

Malaria parasites were first identified in chimpanzees and gorillas in Africa by scientists working in the 1920s.

But this new technology has allowed scientists to confirm the presence of P. falciparum.