Background: For veterinary management of non-human primates in captivity, and conservation of wild-living primates, management of their health risks is necessary. Incidences of pathogenic bacteria in the fecal specimens are considered as one of the useful indicators for non-invasive health monitoring.
Methods: We carried out the detection of Clostridium perfringens in feces from captive and wild chimpanzees by the rapid polymerase chain reaction method.
Results: The bacterium was detected in most fecal specimens (80%) in captive chimpanzees. Contrarily, the detection rate in the wild chimpanzees was low, with 23% (n = 12) of 53 fecal samples from the Bossou group, Guinea, and 1.2% (1/81) in the Mahale group, Tanzania.
Conclusions: These results show that the intestinal microflora differs between Pan populations under various living conditions, being influenced by their diet and environment.