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Patouillat L, Hambuckers A, Adi Subrata S, Garigliany M, Brotcorne F. Zoonotic pathogens in wild Asian primates: a systematic review highlighting research gaps. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1386180. [PMID: 38993279 PMCID: PMC11238137 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1386180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Ongoing global changes, including natural land conversion for agriculture and urbanization, modify the dynamics of human-primate contacts, resulting in increased zoonotic risks. Although Asia shelters high primate diversity and experiences rapid expansion of human-primate contact zones, there remains little documentation regarding zoonotic surveillance in the primates of this region. Methods Using the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review to compile an inventory of zoonotic pathogens detected in wild Asian primates, while highlighting the coverage of primate species, countries, and pathogen groups surveyed, as well as the diagnostic methods used across the studies. Moreover, we compared the species richness of pathogens harbored by primates across diverse types of habitats classified according to their degree of anthropization (i.e., urban vs. rural vs. forest habitats). Results and discussion Searches of Scopus, PubMed, and the Global Mammal Parasite Database yielded 152 articles on 39 primate species. We inventoried 183 pathogens, including 63 helminthic gastrointestinal parasites, two blood-borne parasites, 42 protozoa, 45 viruses, 30 bacteria, and one fungus. Considering each study as a sample, species accumulation curves revealed no significant differences in specific richness between habitat types for any of the pathogen groups analyzed. This is likely due to the insufficient sampling effort (i.e., a limited number of studies), which prevents drawing conclusive findings. This systematic review identified several publication biases, particularly the uneven representation of host species and pathogen groups studied, as well as a lack of use of generic diagnostic methods. Addressing these gaps necessitates a multidisciplinary strategy framed in a One Health approach, which may facilitate a broader inventory of pathogens and ultimately limit the risk of cross-species transmission at the human-primate interface. Strengthening the zoonotic surveillance in primates of this region could be realized notably through the application of more comprehensive diagnostic techniques such as broad-spectrum analyses without a priori selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie Patouillat
- SPHERES, Primatology and Tropical Ecology Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- FARAH, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Alain Hambuckers
- SPHERES, Primatology and Tropical Ecology Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Sena Adi Subrata
- Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Mutien Garigliany
- FARAH, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fany Brotcorne
- SPHERES, Primatology and Tropical Ecology Group, Faculty of Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Shutt-Phillips K, Pafčo B, Heistermann M, Kasim A, Petrželková KJ, Profousová-Pšenková I, Modrý D, Todd A, Fuh T, Dicky JF, Bopalanzognako JB, Setchell JM. Fecal glucocorticoids and gastrointestinal parasite infections in wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) involved in ecotourism. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 312:113859. [PMID: 34298054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Wildlife ecotourism can offer a source of revenue which benefits local development and conservation simultaneously. However, habituation of wildlife for ecotourism can cause long-term elevation of glucocorticoid hormones, which may suppress immune function and increase an animal's vulnerability to disease. We have previously shown that western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) undergoing habituation in Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic, have higher fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGCM) levels than both habituated and unhabituated gorillas. Here, we tested the relationship between FGCM levels and strongylid infections in the same gorillas. If high FGCM levels suppress the immune system, we predicted that FGCM levels will be positively associated with strongylid egg counts and that gorillas undergoing habituation will have the highest strongylid egg counts, relative to both habituated and unhabituated gorillas. We collected fecal samples over 12 months in two habituated gorilla groups, one group undergoing habituation and completely unhabituated gorillas. We established FGCM levels and fecal egg counts of Necator/Oesophagostomum spp. and Mammomonogamus sp. Controlling for seasonal variation and age-sex category in strongylid infections we found no significant relationship between FGCMs and Nectator/Oesophagostomum spp. or Mammomonogamus sp. egg counts in a within group comparison in either a habituated group or a group undergoing habituation. However, across groups, egg counts of Nectator/Oesophagostomum spp. were lowest in unhabituated animals and highest in the group undergoing habituation, matching the differences in FGCM levels among these gorilla groups. Our findings partially support the hypothesis that elevated glucocorticoids reduce a host's ability to control the extent of parasitic infections, and show the importance of non-invasive monitoring of endocrine function and parasite infection in individuals exposed to human pressure including habituation process and ecotourism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Shutt-Phillips
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK; UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Adetayo Kasim
- Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Durham University Queen's Campus University Boulevard, Thornaby, UK
| | - Klára J Petrželková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Liberec Zoo, Liberec, Czech Republic.
| | | | - David Modrý
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources/CINeZ, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Terence Fuh
- WWF-CAR, BP 1053 Bangui, Central African Republic
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Loss of protozoan and metazoan intestinal symbiont biodiversity in wild primates living in unprotected forests. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10917. [PMID: 32616818 PMCID: PMC7331812 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67959-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In light of the current biodiversity crisis, investigating the human impact on non-human primate gut biology is important to understanding the ecological significance of gut community dynamics across changing habitats and its role in conservation. Using traditional coproscopic parasitological techniques, we compared the gastrointestinal protozoan and metazoan symbiont richness of two primates: the Udzungwa red colobus (Procolobus gordonorum) and the yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus). These species live sympatrically in both protected and unprotected forests within the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania with distinct ecological adaptations and diets. Our results showed that terrestrial and omnivorous yellow baboons had 2 (95% CI 1.47–2.73) and 3.78 (2.62–5.46) times higher gut symbiont richness (both including and excluding rare protozoans) compared to the arboreal and leaf-eating Udzungwa red colobus in unprotected and protected forest, respectively. We also found a consistent depletion of symbiont richness in red colobus living in the unprotected forest fragment compared to the continuous protected forests [the latter having 1.97 times (95% CI 1.33–2.92) higher richness], but not in yellow baboons. Richness reduction was particularly evident in the Udzungwa red colobus monkeys, confirming the pattern we reported previously for gut bacterial communities. This study demonstrates the impact of human activities even on the microbiodiversity of the intestinal tract of this species. Against the background of rapid global change and habitat degradation, and given the health benefits of intact gut communities, the decrease in natural gut symbionts reported here is worrying. Further study of these communities should form an essential part of the conservation framework.
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Defolie C, Merkling T, Fichtel C. Patterns and variation in the mammal parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:74-93. [PMID: 31608587 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are ubiquitous and can strongly affect their hosts through mechanisms such as behavioural changes, increased energetic costs and/or immunomodulation. When parasites are detrimental to their hosts, they should act as physiological stressors and elicit the release of glucocorticoids. Alternatively, previously elevated glucocorticoid levels could facilitate parasite infection due to neuroimmunomodulation. However, results are equivocal, with studies showing either positive, negative or no relationship between parasite infection and glucocorticoid levels. Since factors such as parasite type, infection severity or host age and sex can influence the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship, we review the main mechanisms driving this relationship. We then perform a phylogenetic meta-analysis of 110 records from 65 studies in mammalian hosts from experimental and observational studies to quantify the general direction of this relationship and to identify ecological and methodological drivers of the observed variability. Our review produced equivocal results concerning the direction of the relationship, but there was stronger support for a positive relationship, although causality remained unclear. Mechanisms such as host manipulation for parasite survival, host response to infection, cumulative effects of multiple stressors, and neuro-immunomodulatory effects of glucocorticoids could explain the positive relationship. Our meta-analysis results revealed an overall positive relationship between glucocorticoids and parasitism among both experimental and observational studies. Because all experimental studies included were parasite manipulations, we conclude that parasites caused in general an increase in glucocorticoid levels. To obtain a better understanding of the directionality of this link, experimental manipulation of glucocorticoid levels is now required to assess the causal effects of high glucocorticoid levels on parasite infection. Neither parasite type, the method used to assess parasite infection nor phylogeny influenced the relationship, and there was no evidence for publication bias. Future studies should attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, including moderators potentially influencing the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. We particularly emphasise the importance of testing hosts of a broad age range, concomitantly measuring sex hormone levels or at least reproductive status, and for observational studies, also considering food availability, host body condition and social stressors to obtain a better understanding of the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Defolie
- Sociobiology/Anthropology Department, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Macdonald-Stewart Building, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Barelli C, Gonzalez-Astudillo V, Mundry R, Rovero F, Hauffe HC, Gillespie TR. Altitude and human disturbance are associated with helminth diversity in an endangered primate, Procolobus gordonorum. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225142. [PMID: 31800582 PMCID: PMC6892551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal parasites colonizing the mammalian gut influence the host immune system and health. Parasite infections, mainly helminths, have been studied intensively in both humans and non-human animals, but relatively rarely within a conservation framework. The Udzungwa red colobus monkey (Procolobus gordonorum) is an endangered endemic primate species living in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, a global biodiversity hotspot. Since this endemic primate species is highly sensitive to human disturbance, here we investigate whether habitat type (driven by natural and human-induced factors) is associated with helminth diversity. Using standard flotation and sedimentation techniques, we analyzed 251 fecal samples belonging to 25 social groups from four different forest blocks within the Udzungwa Mountains. Five parasitic helminth taxa were recovered from Udzungwa red colobus, including Trichuris sp., Strongyloides fulleborni, S. stercoralis, a strongylid nematode and Colobenterobius sp. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models to explore the contribution of habitat type, altitude and fecal glucocorticoid levels (as biomarkers of stress) in predicting gut parasite variation. Although some parasites (e.g., Trichuris sp.) infected more than 50% of individuals, compared to others (e.g., Colobenterobius sp.) that infected less than 3%, both parasite richness and prevalence did not differ significantly across forests, even when controlling for seasonality. Stress hormone levels also did not predict variation in parasite richness, while altitude could explain it resulting in lower richness at lower altitudes. Because human activities causing disturbance are concentrated mainly at lower altitudes, we suggest that protection of primate forest habitat preserves natural diversity at both macro- and microscales, and that the importance of the latter should not be underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barelli
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione E. Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
- MUSE–Science Museum, Tropical Biodiversity Section, Trento, Italy
| | - Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- Pathology Resident, California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Francesco Rovero
- MUSE–Science Museum, Tropical Biodiversity Section, Trento, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Heidi C. Hauffe
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione E. Mach, San Michele all’Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Thomas R. Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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Erkenswick GA, Watsa M, Gozalo AS, Dudaie S, Bailey L, Muranda KS, Kuziez A, Parker PG. A multiyear survey of helminths from wild saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarins. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e23063. [PMID: 31692027 PMCID: PMC7029814 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of baseline data on parasites from wild primates is essential to understand how changes in habitat or climatic disturbances will impact parasite-host relationships. In nature, multiparasitic infections of primates usually fluctuate temporally and seasonally, implying that the acquisition of reliable data must occur over time. Individual parasite infection data from two wild populations of New World primates, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, were collected over 3 years to establish baseline levels of helminth prevalence and parasite species richness (PSR). Secondarily, we explored variation in parasite prevalence across age and sex classes, test nonrandom associations of parasite co-occurrence, and assess the relationship between group size and PSR. From 288 fecal samples across 105 individuals (71 saddleback and 34 emperor tamarins), 10 parasite taxa were identified by light microscopy following centrifugation and ethyl-acetate sedimentation. Of these taxa, none were host-specific, Dicrocoeliidae and Cestoda prevalences differed between host species, Prosthenorchis and Strongylida were the most prevalent. Host age was positively associated with Prosthenorchis ova and filariform larva, but negatively with cestode and the Rhabditoidea ova. We detected no differences between expected and observed levels of co-infection, nor between group size and parasite species richness over 30 group-years. Logistic models of individual infection status did not identify a sex bias; however, age and species predicted the presence of four and three parasite taxa, respectively, with saddleback tamarins exhibiting higher PSR. Now that we have reliable baseline data for future monitoring of these populations, next steps involve the molecular characterization of these parasites, and exploration of linkages with health parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon A. Erkenswick
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Ave, Saint
Louis, MO 63119, USA
| | - Mrinalini Watsa
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Ave, Saint
Louis, MO 63119, USA
| | - Alfonso S. Gozalo
- Comparative Medicine Branch, National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892,
USA
| | - Shay Dudaie
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Lindsey Bailey
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Kudakwashe S. Muranda
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Alaa Kuziez
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Patricia G. Parker
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis,
One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
- WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Dr.,
Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Tangtrongsup S, Sripakdee D, Malaivijitnond S, Angkuratipakorn R, Lappin M. Intestinal Parasites and the Occurrence of Zoonotic Giardia duodenalis Genotype in Captive Gibbons at Krabokkoo Wildlife Breeding Center, Thailand. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:110. [PMID: 31106211 PMCID: PMC6499157 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal parasitic infections can have an impact on health and growth of wildlife. The current study aims were to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and to molecular characterize Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in captive gibbons at Krabokkoo Wildlife Breeding Center, Thailand. Fifty-five gibbons, 2 agile- (Hylobates agilis), 38 lar- (Hylobates lar) and 15 pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) were included in this study. Fecal samples were collected individually at Krabokkoo Wildlife Breeding Center, Chachoengsao province, eastern Thailand, in November 2013. Intestinal parasitic infections were examined by zinc sulfate centrifugation flotation and by a commercially available immunofluorescent assay (IFA) for detection of G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp.. Polymerase chain reaction targeting the Giardia glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), beta- giardin (bg), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) genes, and the Cryptosporidium small subunit-rRNA and heat-shock protein (hsp70) following by DNA sequencing were performed on the IFA positive samples. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection in gibbons at Krabokkoo Wildlife Breeding Center was 12.7% (95%CI: 5.3–24.5), Strongyloides spp. eggs or larvae were present in all positive samples. Co-infections with G. duodenalis were detected in 1.8% (95%CI: 0.1–9.7) of the samples. Based on the sequencing results of the three genes, the IFA Giardia positive isolate typed as the zoonotic genotype B. Since the data reveals the occurrence of zoonotic Giardia genotype, good hygiene management is suggested to prevent the transmission of this pathogen from gibbon to human, and vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahatchai Tangtrongsup
- Department of Companion Animal and Wildlife Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.,Research Center of Producing and Development of Products and Innovations for Animal Health and Production, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Duanghatai Sripakdee
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.,National Primate Research Center of Thailand, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Michael Lappin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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Howell CP, Cheyne SM. Complexities of Using Wild versus Captive Activity Budget Comparisons for Assessing Captive Primate Welfare. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2018; 22:78-96. [PMID: 30058408 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2018.1500286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Activity budget comparisons between groups or individuals in the wild and those in captivity are commonly used to determine the range of wild-type behaviors that nonhuman animals in captivity perform. These comparisons are conducted with the view that individuals displaying a greater range of wild-type behaviors have enhanced welfare. Such comparisons have a greater appeal when it comes to primates because increased levels of anthropomorphism toward primates lead to welfare concerns. However, the validity of such comparisons has not been assessed. From the reviewed literature, some of the main complexities identified when defining "good welfare" using activity budgets were the ideas of behavioral motivation and adaptation, obstacles when using the wild as a benchmark for good welfare, study methods causing possible variances in behavior, and social and environmental factors. It is proposed that such influencing factors would be controlled for adequately in future studies with the use of multiple indices to measure welfare and methods that infer positive emotional states. It is hoped we can then build evidence of an animal's emotional state and allow welfare to be inferred to a higher degree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Howell
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,b Research Department , Blackpool Zoo , Blackpool , United Kingdom
| | - Susan M Cheyne
- a Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Oxford , United Kingdom.,c Borneo Nature Foundation , Palangka Raya , Kalimantan Tengah , Indonesia
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Emery Thompson M. Energetics of feeding, social behavior, and life history in non-human primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:84-96. [PMID: 27594442 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Energy is a variable of key importance to a wide range of research in primate behavioral ecology, life history, and conservation. However, obtaining detailed data on variation in energetic condition, and its biological consequences, has been a considerable challenge. In the past 20years, tremendous strides have been made towards non-invasive methods for monitoring the physiology of animals in their natural environment. These methods provide detailed, individualized data about energetic condition, as well as energy allocations to growth, reproduction, and somatic health. In doing so, they add much-needed resolution by which to move beyond correlative studies to research programs that can discriminate causes from effects and disaggregate multiple correlated features of the social and physical environment. In this review, I describe the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying primate energetics. I then discuss the core questions about primate feeding ecology, social behavior, and life history that can benefit from physiological studies, highlighting the ways in which recent research has done so. Among these are studies that test, and often refute, common assumptions about how feeding ecology shapes primate biology, and those that reveal proximate associations between energetics and reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 500 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque 87131, Mexico.
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10
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Emery Thompson M. Energetics of feeding, social behavior, and life history in non-human primates. Horm Behav 2017; 91:84-96. [PMID: 27594442 DOI: 10.10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Energy is a variable of key importance to a wide range of research in primate behavioral ecology, life history, and conservation. However, obtaining detailed data on variation in energetic condition, and its biological consequences, has been a considerable challenge. In the past 20years, tremendous strides have been made towards non-invasive methods for monitoring the physiology of animals in their natural environment. These methods provide detailed, individualized data about energetic condition, as well as energy allocations to growth, reproduction, and somatic health. In doing so, they add much-needed resolution by which to move beyond correlative studies to research programs that can discriminate causes from effects and disaggregate multiple correlated features of the social and physical environment. In this review, I describe the conceptual and methodological approaches for studying primate energetics. I then discuss the core questions about primate feeding ecology, social behavior, and life history that can benefit from physiological studies, highlighting the ways in which recent research has done so. Among these are studies that test, and often refute, common assumptions about how feeding ecology shapes primate biology, and those that reveal proximate associations between energetics and reproductive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Emery Thompson
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, MSC01-1040, 500 University Blvd NE, Albuquerque 87131, Mexico.
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11
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Beehner JC, Bergman TJ. The next step for stress research in primates: To identify relationships between glucocorticoid secretion and fitness. Horm Behav 2017; 91:68-83. [PMID: 28284709 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are hormones that mediate the energetic demands that accompany environmental challenges. It is therefore not surprising that these metabolic hormones have come to dominate endocrine research on the health and fitness of wild populations. Yet, several problems have been identified in the vertebrate research that also apply to the non-human primate research. First, glucocorticoids should not be used as a proxy for fitness (unless a link has previously been established between glucocorticoids and fitness for a particular population). Second, stress research in behavioral ecology has been overly focused on "chronic stress" despite little evidence that chronic stress hampers fitness in wild animals. Third, research effort has been disproportionately focused on the causes of glucocorticoid variation rather than the fitness consequences. With these problems in mind, we have three objectives for this review. We describe the conceptual framework behind the "stress concept", emphasizing that high glucocorticoids do not necessarily indicate a stress response, and that a stress response does not necessarily indicate an animal is in poor health. Then, we conduct a comprehensive review of all studies on "stress" in wild primates, including any study that examined environmental factors, the stress response, and/or fitness (or proxies for fitness). Remarkably, not a single primate study establishes a connection between all three. Finally, we provide several recommendations for future research in the field of primate behavioral endocrinology, primarily the need to move beyond identifying the factors that cause glucocorticoid secretion to additionally focus on the relationship between glucocorticoids and fitness. We believe that this is an important next step for research on stress physiology in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
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Martínez-Mota R, Garber PA, Palme R, Gillespie TR. The relative effects of reproductive condition, stress, and seasonality on patterns of parasitism in wild female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28407272 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic infections in wildlife are shaped by host-related traits including individual reproductive condition. It has been argued that female primates are more susceptible to infectious diseases during pregnancy due to short-term changes in immune function that result in reduced ability to combat infections. Likewise, lactation, which is the most energetically expensive state, may affect immunity and infection risk due to tradeoffs between milk production and maintenance of immune function. Here, we examine the degree to which parasite prevalence and parasite richness are affected by female reproductive condition and stress levels in wild female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra). Over the course of one year, we collected fresh fecal samples from 15 adult females belonging to seven black howler groups living in Escárcega, Mexico. Fecal samples were used for parasitological analysis and for measuring fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (i.e., stress biomarker). We found that the prevalence of intestinal parasites and parasite richness did not differ among non-pregnant, pregnant, and lactating females. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels increased significantly during pregnancy and during the first month of lactation, and positively predicted the probability of Controrchis biliophilus infection. Parasite prevalence and richness decreased during the months of increased rainfall. We conclude that reproductive physiology has limited consequences on intestinal parasitic infection risk in female black howler monkeys and that seasonal environmental fluctuations have greater effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Martínez-Mota
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.,Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Paul A Garber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas R Gillespie
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution and Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.,Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
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Edes AN, Crews DE. Allostatic load and biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 162 Suppl 63:44-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Edes
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
| | - Douglas E. Crews
- Department of Anthropology and School of Public HealthThe Ohio State University
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Barelli C, Huffman MA. Leaf swallowing and parasite expulsion in Khao Yai white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar), the first report in an Asian ape species. Am J Primatol 2016; 79:1-7. [PMID: 28118500 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Leaf swallowing behavior, known as a form of self-medication for the control of nematode and tapeworm infection, occurs widely in all the African great apes (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii, P. t. troglodytes, P. t. verus, P. t. vellerosus, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla graueri), except mountain gorillas. It is also reported to occur in a similar context across a wide array of other animal taxa including, domestic dogs, wolves, brown bears, and civets. Despite long-term research on Asian great and small apes, this is the first report of leaf swallowing in an Asian species, the white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) in Khao Yai National Park, central Thailand. We present the first evidence of leaf swallowing (Gironniera nervosa Planch CANNABACEA) behavior (N = 5 cases) and parasite (Streptopharagus pigmentatus) expulsion (N = 4 cases), recorded during 4,300 hr of direct animal observations during two distinct research projects. We recovered 4-18 rough, hairy, and hispid surfaced leaves from each sample, undigested and folded, from the freshly evacuated feces of five different individuals (2 males, 3 females, 5 to 34+ years old) living in three different social groups, between the hours of 06:00 to 10:30. Based on close inspection of the leaves, as observed in chimpanzees, it was clear that they were taken into the mouth, one at a time, folded and detached from the stem with the teeth before swallowing them whole. All instances occurred during the rainy season, the time when nematode worms were also found in the feces, although they were not found together with leaves in the same feces. These striking similarities in the details of leaf swallowing between white-handed gibbons and African great apes, and other animal species, suggest a similar self-medicative function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barelli
- Tropical Biodiversity Section, MUSE-Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, Trento, Italy
- Reproductive Biology Unit, German Primate Centre (DPZ), Göttingen, Germany
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15
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Friant S, Ziegler TE, Goldberg TL. Primate reinfection with gastrointestinal parasites: behavioural and physiological predictors of parasite acquisition. Anim Behav 2016; 117:105-113. [PMID: 28163324 PMCID: PMC5287709 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Infectious disease transmission is a cost of sociality in humans and other animals. Nevertheless, the mechanisms linking social behaviour to infection risk are poorly known. We conducted a field experiment to examine how host intrinsic traits, behaviour and physiology affect infection of nonhuman primates with gastrointestinal parasites. We measured rate to reinfection in a social group of red-capped mangabeys, Cercocebus torquatus, following chemotherapeutic treatment for parasite infections. By measuring behaviour, infection and glucocorticoid levels, we compared the relative effects of space sharing, directional contact and physiological stress on risk of acquiring new infections. We found that, within proximity networks, individuals that were central and well connected and that had a tendency to switch groups were at increased risk of infection with helminths. Protozoan infections, however, were acquired more uniformly across the population. In general, position in the social network and, in particular, space sharing appears to be more important than the immunosuppressive effects of physiological stress or host traits in determining risk of infection. Our results suggest that future studies of disease ecology within wildlife populations should focus on measures of network association in addition to individual host traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagan Friant
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U.S.A
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U.S.A
| | - Toni E. Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, U.S.A
| | - Tony L. Goldberg
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U.S.A
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U.S.A
- Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U.S.A
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Hämäläinen A, Raharivololona B, Ravoniarimbinina P, Kraus C. Host sex and age influence endoparasite burdens in the gray mouse lemur. Front Zool 2015; 12:25. [PMID: 26435728 PMCID: PMC4591582 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-015-0118-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immunosenescence (deteriorating immune function at old age) affects humans and laboratory animals, but little is known about immunosenescence in natural populations despite its potential importance for population and disease dynamics and individual fitness. Although life histories and immune system profiles often differ between the sexes, sex-specific effects of aging on health are rarely studied in the wild. Life history theory predicts that due to their shorter lifespan and higher investment into reproduction at the expense of immune defences, males might experience accelerated immunosenescence. We tested this hypothesis by examining sex-specific age trajectories of endoparasite burden (helminth prevalence and morphotype richness measured via fecal egg counts), an indicator of overall health, in wild gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). To account for potential interactions between seasonality and host sex or age we examined the predictors of parasite burdens separately for the dry and rainy season. Results Contrary to the prediction of immunosenescence, parasite prevalence and morphotype richness decreased at old age in the dry season, indicating acquired immunity by older animals. This pattern was primarily caused by within-individual decline in parasite loads rather than the earlier mortality of highly parasitized individuals. With the exception of an increasing cestode prevalence in males from yearlings to prime age in the rainy season, no evidence was found of male-biased ageing in parasite resistance. Besides this sex*age interaction, host age was uncorrelated with rainy season parasite loads. Seasonality did not affect the overall parasite loads but seasonal patterns were found in the predictors of parasite prevalence and morphotype richness. Conclusions These results provide rare information about the age-related patterns of health in a wild vertebrate population and suggest improvement rather than senescence in the ability to resist helminth infections at old age. Overall, males appear not to suffer from earlier immunosenescence relative to females. This may partially reflect the earlier mortality of males, which can render senescence difficult to detect. While helminth infections are not strongly associated with survival in wild gray mouse lemurs, parasite load may, however, reflect overall good phenotypic quality of long-lived individuals, and is a potential correlate of fitness. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-015-0118-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anni Hämäläinen
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Current address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Brigitte Raharivololona
- Department of Paleontology and Biological Anthropology, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Cornelia Kraus
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ; Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Foerster S, Kithome K, Cords M, Monfort SL. Social status and helminth infections in female forest guenons (Cercopithecus mitis). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 158:55-66. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Foerster
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology; Duke University; Durham NC
- National Museums of Kenya; Institute of Primate Research; Nairobi Kenya
| | - Kiio Kithome
- National Museums of Kenya; Institute of Primate Research; Nairobi Kenya
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology; Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University; NY
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Konigsberg LW, Frankenberg SR. Bayes in biological anthropology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152 Suppl 57:153-84. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lyle W. Konigsberg
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana IL 61801
| | - Susan R. Frankenberg
- Department of Anthropology; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana IL 61801
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