Non-invasive environmental DNA sampling reveals tuberculosis risks at the human - Great Ape Interface in Africa
Emerging microbes and infections publish this investigation article
December 1st, 2026
The current range of African great apes includes countries with some of the world’s highest incidence rates of human tuberculosis (TB). Non-human primates (NHPs) living in their natural habitats are expected to be free of TB. However, TB represents a known threat to captive NHP communities. We applied a non-invasive sponge-based environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling to run a cross-sectional survey at the human-animal interface in a challenging setting: the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The study sites included a primate rehabilitation centre, the local health area, and a nearby national park with critically endangered Eastern Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri). Sponge samples were tested for two PCR targets, IS6110 and mpb70. Positive samples were further characterized by
spoligotyping, species identification and detection of molecular resistance against rifampicin and isoniazid. We detected Mycobacterium tuberculosis eDNA in 26% of the samples from all three sites including samples linked to humans, wild gorillas and captive NHPs. The spoligotype could be identified in 18 cases. Spoligotype SIT130 was detected in all sites including human and gorilla environment samples. These findings are strongly suggestive of epidemiological links between human and NHP TB in equatorial Africa
Kalalizi E., Flores L., Perez-Sancho M., Perello A., Herranz-Benito C., Herrera L., Romero B., Kaleme P., Garcia-Seco T., Kujirakwinja D., Kalonji A., Kashongwe Z., Birembano-Machara F., Baganda D., Nkonzi P., Velez del Burgo I., Le Gal F., de la Fuente J., Dominguez L. and Gortazar C.
 | Sanidad y Biotecnología (SaBio). Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC). Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Universidad de Castilla La Mancha (UCLM). Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha (JCCM). |
| L’Université Cinquantenaire de Lwiro. | |
 | Lwiro Primates Rehabilitation Center. (LPRC). |
| Centre de Recherche en Sciences Naturelles de Lwiro. | |
| One Health Conservation Initiative (OHCI). | |
 | Servicio de Identificación y Caracterización Microbiana (ICM). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
 | Servicio de Bacteriología. Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). |
| Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu. | |
| Institut Supérieur de Tourisme. | |
| Kahuzi-Biega National Park. | |
| University of Kinshasa. | |
| Le Programme National de Lutte Contre la Tuberculose (PNLT). | |
| Laboratoires de Microbiologie Clinique. | |
 | Departament of Veterinary Pathobiology. Center for Veterinary Health Sciences (CVHS). Oklahoma State University (OSU). |
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- Participación española en un estudio pionero que detecta tuberculosis en gorilas mediante ADN ambiental - diarioveterinario.com
