Fatal Metacestode Infection in Bornean Orangutan Caused by Unknown Versteria Species

Abstract

A captive juvenile Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) died from an unknown disseminated parasitic infection. Deep sequencing of DNA from infected tissues, followed by gene-specific PCR and sequencing, revealed a divergent species within the newly proposed genus Versteria (Cestoda: Taeniidae). Versteria may represent a previously unrecognized risk to primate health.

Keywords

• Cestoda
• Taeniidae
• Versteria
• metacestode
• primate
• orangutan