1
|
Cooksey KE, Sanz C, Massamba JM, Ebombi TF, Teberd P, Abea G, Mbebouti G, Kienast I, Brogan S, Stephens C, Morgan D. Predictors of respiratory illness in western lowland gorillas. Primates 2023:10.1007/s10329-022-01045-6. [PMID: 36653552 PMCID: PMC9849104 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-022-01045-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Infectious disease is hypothesized to be one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in wild great apes. Specific socioecological factors have been shown to influence incidences of respiratory illness and disease prevalence in some primate populations. In this study, we evaluated potential predictors (including age, sex, group size, fruit availability, and rainfall) of respiratory illness across three western lowland gorilla groups in the Republic of Congo. A total of 19,319 observational health assessments were conducted during daily follows of habituated gorillas in the Goualougo and Djéké Triangles over a 4-year study period. We detected 1146 incidences of clinical respiratory signs, which indicated the timing of probable disease outbreaks within and between groups. Overall, we found that males were more likely to exhibit signs than females, and increasing age resulted in a higher likelihood of respiratory signs. Silverback males showed the highest average monthly prevalence of coughs and sneezes (Goualougo: silverback Loya, 9.35 signs/month; Djéké: silverback Buka, 2.65 signs/month; silverback Kingo,1.88 signs/month) in each of their groups. Periods of low fruit availability were associated with an increased likelihood of respiratory signs. The global pandemic has increased awareness about the importance of continuous monitoring and preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, which are also known to threaten wild ape populations. In addition to the strict implementation of disease prevention protocols at field sites focused on great apes, there is a need for heightened vigilance and systematic monitoring across sites to protect both wildlife and human populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristena E. Cooksey
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - Crickette Sanz
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA ,Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Jean Marie Massamba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Thierry Fabrice Ebombi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Prospère Teberd
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaston Abea
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Gaeton Mbebouti
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Ivonne Kienast
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA ,K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850 USA
| | - Sean Brogan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program, B.P. 14537, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1114, Saint Louis, MO 63130 USA
| | - David Morgan
- Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614 USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Robbins AM, Manguette ML, Breuer T, Groenenberg M, Parnell RJ, Stephan C, Stokes EJ, Robbins MM. Population dynamics of western gorillas at Mbeli Bai. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275635. [PMID: 36260834 PMCID: PMC9581538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term studies of population dynamics can provide insights into life history theory, population ecology, socioecology, conservation biology and wildlife management. Here we examine 25 years of population dynamics of western gorillas at Mbeli Bai, a swampy forest clearing in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, the Republic of Congo. The Mbeli population more than doubled from 101 to 226 gorillas during the study. After adjusting for a net influx of gorillas into the study population, the increase represents an inherent growth rate of 0.7% per year, with 95% confidence limits between -0.7% and 2.6%. The influx of gorillas mainly involved immigration of individuals into existing study groups (social dispersal), but it also included the appearance of a few previously unknown groups (locational dispersal). The average group size did not change significantly during the study, which is consistent with the possibility that western gorillas face socioecological constraints on group size, even when the population is increasing. We found no significant evidence of density dependence on female reproductive success or male mating competition. The distribution of gorillas among age/sex categories also did not change significantly, which suggests that the population had a stable age structure. Our results provide evidence of population stability or growth for some western gorillas (albeit within a small area). The results highlight the value of law enforcement, long-term monitoring, and protected areas; but they do not diminish the importance of improving conservation for this critically endangered species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Robbins
- Wildlife Conservation Society–Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- * E-mail:
| | - Marie L. Manguette
- Wildlife Conservation Society–Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| | - Thomas Breuer
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Division of Developmental Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Richard J. Parnell
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Claudia Stephan
- Wildlife Conservation Society–Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Nouabalé-Ndoki Foundation, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
- Division of Developmental Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Emma J. Stokes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Wildlife Conservation Society–Congo Program, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Oyaba Yinda LED, Onanga R, Mbehang Nguema PP, Akomo-Okoue EF, Nsi Akoue G, Longo Pendy NM, Otsaghe Ekore D, Lendamba RW, Mabika-Mabika A, Mbeang JCO, Poungou N, Ibrahim, Mavoungou JF, Godreuil S. Phylogenetic Groups, Pathotypes and Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated from Western Lowland Gorilla Faeces ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla) of Moukalaba-Doudou National Park (MDNP). Pathogens 2022; 11:1082. [PMID: 36297139 PMCID: PMC9607589 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11101082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Terrestrial mammals in protected areas have been identified as a potential source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Studies on antimicrobial resistance in gorillas have already been conducted. Thus, this study aimed to describe the phylogroups, pathotypes and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli isolated from western lowland gorilla's faeces living in MDNP. (2) Materials and Methods: Ninety-six faecal samples were collected from western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) during daily monitoring in the MDNP. Sixty-four E. coli isolates were obtained and screened for phylogenetic and pathotype group genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after DNA extraction. In addition, antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar. (3) Results: Sixty-four (64%) isolates of E. coli were obtained from samples. A high level of resistance to the beta-lactam family, a moderate rate for fluoroquinolone and a low rate for aminoglycoside was obtained. All E. coli isolates were positive in phylogroup PCR with a predominance of A (69% ± 11.36%), followed by B2 (20% ± 19.89%) and B1 (10% ± 8.90%) and low prevalence for D (1% ± 3.04%). In addition, twenty E. coli isolates (31%) were positive for pathotype PCR, such as EPEC (85% ± 10.82%) and EPEC/EHEC (15% ± 5.18%) that were obtained in this study. The majority of these MDR E. coli (DECs) belonged to phylogenetic group A, followed by MDR E. coli (DECs) belonging to group B2. (4) Conclusion: This study is the first description of MDR E. coli (DECs) assigned to phylogroup A in western lowland gorillas from the MDNP in Gabon. Thus, wild gorillas in MDNP could be considered as asymptomatic carriers of potential pathogenic MDR E. coli (DECs) that may present a potential risk to human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Onanga
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville, Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | | | | | | | - Neil Michel Longo Pendy
- Laboratory of Vector Ecology, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville, Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | - Desire Otsaghe Ekore
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville, Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | - Roméo Wenceslas Lendamba
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville, Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | - Arsène Mabika-Mabika
- Laboratory of Bacteriology, Interdisciplinary Medical Research Center of Franceville, Franceville P.O. Box 769, Gabon
| | | | - Natacha Poungou
- Microbiology Laboratory, Research Institute for Tropical Ecology, Libreville P.O. Box 13354, Gabon
| | - Ibrahim
- Laboratory of Biology, University of Science and Technology of Masuku, Franceville P.O. Box 913, Gabon
| | | | - Sylvain Godreuil
- Laboratoire de Bactériologie, CHU de Montpellier, UMR MIVEGEC (IRD, CNRS, Université de Montpellier), 34295 Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Global protected areas seem insufficient to safeguard half of the world's mammals from human-induced extinction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2200118119. [PMID: 35666869 PMCID: PMC9214487 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2200118119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas are vital for conserving global biodiversity, but we lack information on the extent to which the current global protected area network is able to prevent local extinctions. Here we investigate this by assessing the potential size of individual populations of nearly 4,000 terrestrial mammals within protected areas. We find that many existing protected areas are too small or too poorly connected to provide robust and resilient protection for almost all mammal species that are threatened with extinction and for over 1,000 species that are not currently threatened. These results highlight that global biodiversity targets must reflect ecological realities by incorporating spatial structure and estimates of population viability, rather than relying simply on the total area of land protected. Protected areas (PAs) are a cornerstone of global conservation and central to international plans to minimize global extinctions. During the coming century, global ecosystem destruction and fragmentation associated with increased human population and economic activity could make the long-term survival of most terrestrial vertebrates even more dependent on PAs. However, the capacity of the current global PA network to sustain species for the long term is unknown. Here, we explore this question for all nonvolant terrestrial mammals for which we found sufficient data, ∼4,000 species. We first estimate the potential population size of each such mammal species in each PA and then use three different criteria to estimate if solely the current global network of PAs might be sufficient for their long-term survival. Our analyses suggest that current PAs may fail to provide robust protection for about half the species analyzed, including most species currently listed as threatened with extinction and a third of species not currently listed as threatened. Hundreds of mammal species appear to have no viable protected populations. Underprotected species were found across all body sizes, taxonomic groups, and geographic regions. Large-bodied mammals, endemic species, and those in high-biodiversity tropical regions were particularly poorly protected by existing PAs. As new international biodiversity targets are formulated, our results suggest that the global network of PAs must be greatly expanded and most importantly that PAs must be located in diverse regions that encompass species not currently protected and must be large enough to ensure that protected species can persist for the long term.
Collapse
|
5
|
Fontsere C, Frandsen P, Hernandez-Rodriguez J, Niemann J, Scharff-Olsen CH, Vallet D, Le Gouar P, Ménard N, Navarro A, Siegismund HR, Hvilsom C, Gilbert MTP, Kuhlwilm M, Hughes D, Marques-Bonet T. The genetic impact of an Ebola outbreak on a wild gorilla population. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:735. [PMID: 34635054 PMCID: PMC8504571 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous Ebola virus outbreaks have occurred in Equatorial Africa over the past decades. Besides human fatalities, gorillas and chimpanzees have also succumbed to the fatal virus. The 2004 outbreak at the Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Republic of Congo) alone caused a severe decline in the resident western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) population, with a 95% mortality rate. Here, we explore the immediate genetic impact of the Ebola outbreak in the western lowland gorilla population. Results Associations with survivorship were evaluated by utilizing DNA obtained from fecal samples from 16 gorilla individuals declared missing after the outbreak (non-survivors) and 15 individuals observed before and after the epidemic (survivors). We used a target enrichment approach to capture the sequences of 123 genes previously associated with immunology and Ebola virus resistance and additionally analyzed the gut microbiome which could influence the survival after an infection. Our results indicate no changes in the population genetic diversity before and after the Ebola outbreak, and no significant differences in microbial community composition between survivors and non-survivors. However, and despite the low power for an association analysis, we do detect six nominally significant missense mutations in four genes that might be candidate variants associated with an increased chance of survival. Conclusion This study offers the first insight to the genetics of a wild great ape population before and after an Ebola outbreak using target capture experiments from fecal samples, and presents a list of candidate loci that may have facilitated their survival. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-08025-y.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fontsere
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Peter Frandsen
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark.,Department of Biology, Section for Computational and RNA Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jessica Hernandez-Rodriguez
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Genomics of Health Research Group, Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE) and Institut d'Investigacions Sanitaries de Balears (IDISBA), Palma, Spain
| | - Jonas Niemann
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Dominique Vallet
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Pascaline Le Gouar
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Nelly Ménard
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Arcadi Navarro
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,BarcelonaBeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, 08005, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hans R Siegismund
- Department of Biology, Section for Computational and RNA Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaløes Vej 5, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christina Hvilsom
- Research and Conservation, Copenhagen Zoo, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - M Thomas P Gilbert
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.,University Museum, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Martin Kuhlwilm
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - David Hughes
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.,Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Tomas Marques-Bonet
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra), PRBB, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,Institucio Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. .,CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri i Reixac 4, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mustafa MI, Shantier SW, Abdelmageed MI, Makhawi AM. Epitope-based peptide vaccine against Bombali Ebolavirus viral protein 40: An immunoinformatics combined with molecular docking studies. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2021.100694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
|
7
|
Lappan S, Malaivijitnond S, Radhakrishna S, Riley EP, Ruppert N. The human-primate interface in the New Normal: Challenges and opportunities for primatologists in the COVID-19 era and beyond. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23176. [PMID: 32686188 PMCID: PMC7404331 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 and human responses to the resulting COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 have rapidly changed many aspects of human behavior, including our interactions with wildlife. In this commentary, we identify challenges and opportunities at human-primate interfaces in light of COVID-19, focusing on examples from Asia, and make recommendations for researchers working with wild primates to reduce zoonosis risk and leverage research opportunities. First, we briefly review the evidence for zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 and discuss risks of zoonosis at the human-primate interface. We then identify challenges that the pandemic has caused for primates, including reduced nutrition, increased intraspecific competition, and increased poaching risk, as well as challenges facing primatologists, including lost research opportunities. Subsequently, we highlight opportunities arising from pandemic-related lockdowns and public health messaging, including opportunities to reduce the intensity of problematic human-primate interfaces, opportunities to reduce the risk of zoonosis between humans and primates, opportunities to reduce legal and illegal trade in primates, new opportunities for research on human-primate interfaces, and opportunities for community education. Finally, we recommend specific actions that primatologists should take to reduce contact and aggression between humans and primates, to reduce demand for primates as pets, to reduce risks of zoonosis in the context of field research, and to improve understanding of human-primate interfaces. Reducing the risk of zoonosis and promoting the well-being of humans and primates at our interfaces will require substantial changes from "business as usual." We encourage primatologists to help lead the way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Lappan
- Department of AnthropologyAppalachian State UniversityBooneNorth Carolina
- School of Biological SciencesUniversiti Sains MalaysiaPenangMalaysia
| | - Suchinda Malaivijitnond
- National Primate Research Center of ThailandChulalongkorn UniversityKaeng KhoiSaraburiThailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of ScienceChulalongkorn UniversityBangkokThailand
| | - Sindhu Radhakrishna
- National Institute of Advanced StudiesIndian Institute of ScienceBengaluruIndia
| | - Erin P. Riley
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCalifornia
| | - Nadine Ruppert
- School of Biological SciencesUniversiti Sains MalaysiaPenangMalaysia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Computational design of a potential multi-epitope subunit vaccine using immunoinformatics to fight Ebola virus. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104464. [PMID: 32681997 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) is a rare but fatal disease that has been a burden to mankind for over 40 years. EBOV exhibits several symptoms including severe bleeding, organ failure and if left untreated causes death. It is assumed that fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are natural hosts for the virus. Over the years, there has been no effective vaccine that can confer immunity to this virus. Considering the necessity of a vaccine against EBOV, this study to develop a multi-epitope subunit vaccine for the EBOV using the immunoinformatics approach was conducted. The construct was designed using structural and non-structural proteins of EBOV. Class I and Class II MHC epitopes were predicted and linked along with β defensin and compatible linkers. B-cell linear epitopes were also assessed and the physiological parameters of the vaccine were determined. The vaccine was capable of administration to humans and also is capable of an immune response. The vaccine was modeled further and affinity towards the TLR4 receptor was studied by docking and simulation for 20 ns. The trajectory analysis high affinity between the vaccine and the construct with an average hydrogen bond of 18. For ease of purification, the vaccine construct was ligated into pET28a(+) vector with His-tag. Concluding from the results, the vaccine construct has the potentiality to help develop immunity against the Ebola virus. Furthermore, experimental and immunological investigations will be required to verify the feasibility of the multi-epitope subunit construct as a commercial vaccine.
Collapse
|
9
|
Tomaszewicz Brown A, McAloose D, Calle PP, Auer A, Posautz A, Slavinski S, Brennan R, Walzer C, Seimon TA. Development and validation of a portable, point-of-care canine distemper virus qPCR test. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232044. [PMID: 32320441 PMCID: PMC7176111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a multi-host pathogen that can cause significant mortality in domestic, wild terrestrial and marine mammals. It is a major conservation threat in some endangered species. Infection can result in severe respiratory disease and fatal encephalitis. Diagnosis and disease monitoring in wildlife, and differentiation of CDV from rabies (a life-threatening zoonotic disease that can produce similar neurologic signs), would benefit from the availability of a portable, point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test. We therefore developed a quantitative RT-PCR assay for CDV using shelf-stable, lyophilized reagents and target-specific primers and probes for use with the handheld Biomeme two3™ qPCR thermocycler. Biomeme's extraction methodology, lyophilized reagents, and thermocycler were compared to our standard laboratory-based methods to assess sensitivity, efficiency and overall test performance. Results using a positive control plasmid for CDV showed comparable sensitivity (detection of 50 copies) and PCR efficiency between the two platforms, and CDV detection was similar between platforms when tested using a modified live CDV vaccine. Significantly higher Ct values (average Ct = 5.1 cycles) were observed using the Biomeme platform on known CDV positive animal samples. CDV detection using the Biomeme platform was similar in 25 of 26 samples from suspect CDV cases when compared to standard virology laboratory testing. One false positive was observed that was negative upon retest. The Biomeme methodology can be adapted for detection of specific targets, and this portable technology saves time by eliminating the need for local or international sample transport for laboratory-based diagnostics. However, results of our testing suggest that decreased diagnostic sensitivity (higher Ct values) relative to laboratory-based methods was observed using animal samples, so careful validation and optimization are essential. Portable qPCR platforms can empower biologists and wildlife health professionals in remote and low-resource settings, which will greatly improve our understanding of CDV disease ecology and associated conservation threats in wildlife.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ania Tomaszewicz Brown
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Denise McAloose
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Paul P. Calle
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Angelika Auer
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Annika Posautz
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI), University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sally Slavinski
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, New York, United States of America
| | - Robin Brennan
- Animal Care Centers of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Chris Walzer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology (FIWI), University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Tracie A. Seimon
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Zoological Health Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Baudouin A, Gatti S, Levréro F, Genton C, Cristescu RH, Billy V, Motsch P, Pierre JS, Le Gouar P, Ménard N. Disease avoidance, and breeding group age and size condition the dispersal patterns of western lowland gorilla females. Ecology 2019; 100:e02786. [PMID: 31188468 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Social dispersal is an important feature of population dynamics. When female mammals occur in polygynous groups, their dispersal decisions are conditioned by various female-, male-, and group-related factors. Among them, the influence of disease often remains difficult to assess. To address this challenge, we used long-term monitoring data from two gorilla populations (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) affected by infectious skin disease lesions. After controlling for other potentially influential factors, we investigated to which extent disease avoidance drives the dispersal decisions of gorilla females. We showed that the infection of a silverback of a breeding group by the skin disease increased the probability of adult females to emigrate. Moreover, adult females avoided breeding groups with a high prevalence of skin disease by emigrating from them and immigrating into healthier ones. Age of the breeding group was also an important factor. Adult females left older groups, near the end of a male tenure, to join younger ones led by younger fully grown silverbacks that could be of high reproductive and protective value. Our study highlights that, although females select for high-quality males, disease avoidance is a critical driver of their dispersion decision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Baudouin
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont, Paimpont, 35380, France
| | - Sylvain Gatti
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont, Paimpont, 35380, France
| | - Florence Levréro
- Université de Saint-Etienne/Lyon, Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, 23 rue des Dr Michelon, Saint-Etienne, 42023, France
| | - Céline Genton
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont, Paimpont, 35380, France
| | - Romane H Cristescu
- GeneCology, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Queensland, 4556, Australia
| | - Vincent Billy
- Odzala-Kokoua National Park, African Parks Network, Mbomo, Republic of Congo
| | - Peggy Motsch
- Odzala-Kokoua National Park, African Parks Network, Mbomo, Republic of Congo
| | - Jean-Sébastien Pierre
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Avenue du Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France
| | - Pascaline Le Gouar
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont, Paimpont, 35380, France
| | - Nelly Ménard
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont, Paimpont, 35380, France
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Benhaiem S, Marescot L, East ML, Kramer-Schadt S, Gimenez O, Lebreton JD, Hofer H. Slow recovery from a disease epidemic in the spotted hyena, a keystone social carnivore. Commun Biol 2018; 1:201. [PMID: 30480102 PMCID: PMC6244218 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0197-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Predicting the impact of disease epidemics on wildlife populations is one of the twenty-first century's main conservation challenges. The long-term demographic responses of wildlife populations to epidemics and the life history and social traits modulating these responses are generally unknown, particularly for K-selected social species. Here we develop a stage-structured matrix population model to provide a long-term projection of demographic responses by a keystone social predator, the spotted hyena, to a virulent epidemic of canine distemper virus (CDV) in the Serengeti ecosystem in 1993/1994 and predict the recovery time for the population following the epidemic. Using two decades of longitudinal data from 625 known hyenas, we demonstrate that although the reduction in population size was moderate, i.e., the population showed high ecological 'resistance' to the novel CDV genotype present, recovery was slow. Interestingly, high-ranking females accelerated the population's recovery, thereby lessening the impact of the epidemic on the population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benhaiem
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lucile Marescot
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Marion L East
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstr. 12, 12165, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jean-Dominique Lebreton
- CEFE, CNRS, University Montpellier, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Ecological Dynamics, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Oertzenweg 19b, Berlin, 14163, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 3, Berlin, 14195, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Strindberg S, Maisels F, Williamson EA, Blake S, Stokes EJ, Aba’a R, Abitsi G, Agbor A, Ambahe RD, Bakabana PC, Bechem M, Berlemont A, Bokoto de Semboli B, Boundja PR, Bout N, Breuer T, Campbell G, De Wachter P, Ella Akou M, Esono Mba F, Feistner ATC, Fosso B, Fotso R, Greer D, Inkamba-Nkulu C, Iyenguet CF, Jeffery KJ, Kokangoye M, Kühl HS, Latour S, Madzoke B, Makoumbou C, Malanda GAF, Malonga R, Mbolo V, Morgan DB, Motsaba P, Moukala G, Mowawa BS, Murai M, Ndzai C, Nishihara T, Nzooh Z, Pintea L, Pokempner A, Rainey HJ, Rayden T, Ruffler H, Sanz CM, Todd A, Vanleeuwe H, Vosper A, Warren Y, Wilkie DS. Guns, germs, and trees determine density and distribution of gorillas and chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar2964. [PMID: 29707637 PMCID: PMC5916511 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar2964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We present a range-wide assessment of sympatric western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla and central chimpanzees Pan troglodytes troglodytes using the largest survey data set ever assembled for these taxa: 59 sites in five countries surveyed between 2003 and 2013, totaling 61,000 person-days of fieldwork. We used spatial modeling to investigate major drivers of great ape distribution and population trends. We predicted density across each taxon's geographic range, allowing us to estimate overall abundance: 361,900 gorillas and 128,700 chimpanzees in Western Equatorial Africa-substantially higher than previous estimates. These two subspecies represent close to 99% of all gorillas and one-third of all chimpanzees. Annual population decline of gorillas was estimated at 2.7%, maintaining them as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. We quantified the threats to each taxon, of which the three greatest were poaching, disease, and habitat degradation. Gorillas and chimpanzees are found at higher densities where forest is intact, wildlife laws are enforced, human influence is low, and disease impacts have been low. Strategic use of the results of these analyses could conserve the majority of gorillas and chimpanzees. With around 80% of both subspecies occurring outside protected areas, their conservation requires reinforcement of anti-poaching efforts both inside and outside protected areas (particularly where habitat quality is high and human impact is low), diligent disease control measures (including training, advocacy, and research into Ebola virus disease), and the preservation of high-quality habitat through integrated land-use planning and implementation of best practices by the extractive and agricultural industries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Strindberg
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Fiona Maisels
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Stephen Blake
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, Macelwane Hall, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Emma J. Stokes
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Rostand Aba’a
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Gaspard Abitsi
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Anthony Agbor
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Ruffin D. Ambahe
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Parfait C. Bakabana
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Martha Bechem
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)–Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), MIKE Subregional Office, Yaoundé, BP 5506, Cameroon
| | - Antoine Berlemont
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | | | - Patrick R. Boundja
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Nicolas Bout
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Thomas Breuer
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Genevieve Campbell
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pauwel De Wachter
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Marc Ella Akou
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Fidel Esono Mba
- Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Gestión del Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, Bata, Equatorial Guinea
| | - Anna T. C. Feistner
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Bernard Fosso
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Roger Fotso
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - David Greer
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Clement Inkamba-Nkulu
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Calixte F. Iyenguet
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Kathryn J. Jeffery
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK
| | - Max Kokangoye
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Hjalmar S. Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Robert Bosch Junior Professor, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Leipzig-Jena, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stephanie Latour
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA
| | - Bola Madzoke
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Calixte Makoumbou
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Guy-Aimé F. Malanda
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Richard Malonga
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Victor Mbolo
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - David B. Morgan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Prosper Motsaba
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Gabin Moukala
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Brice S. Mowawa
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Mizuki Murai
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Christian Ndzai
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Tomoaki Nishihara
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Zacharie Nzooh
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Lilian Pintea
- The Jane Goodall Institute, 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550, Vienna, VA 22182, USA
| | - Amy Pokempner
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Hugo J. Rainey
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Tim Rayden
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Heidi Ruffler
- Conservation International, 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22202, USA
| | - Crickette M. Sanz
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Angelique Todd
- World Wildlife Fund International, Regional Office for Africa, BP 6776 Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - Hilde Vanleeuwe
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Ashley Vosper
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - Ymke Warren
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| | - David S. Wilkie
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Conservation Program, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York, NY 10460, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Breuer T, Manguette M, Groenenberg M. Gorilla
Gorilla
spp conservation – from zoos to the field and back: examples from the Mbeli Bai Study. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/izy.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T. Breuer
- Global Conservation Program Wildlife Conservation Society 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx New York 10460 USA
| | - M. Manguette
- Department of Primatology Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Deutscher Platz 6 04103 Leipzig Germany
- Mbeli Bai Study Nouabalé‐Ndoki National Park Wildlife Conservation Society B.P. 14537 Brazzaville Congo
| | - M. Groenenberg
- Mbeli Bai Study Nouabalé‐Ndoki National Park Wildlife Conservation Society B.P. 14537 Brazzaville Congo
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Glidden CK, Beechler B, Buss PE, Charleston B, de Klerk-Lorist LM, Maree FF, Muller T, Pérez-Martin E, Scott KA, van Schalkwyk OL, Jolles A. Detection of Pathogen Exposure in African Buffalo Using Non-Specific Markers of Inflammation. Front Immunol 2018; 8:1944. [PMID: 29375568 PMCID: PMC5768611 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting exposure to new or emerging pathogens is a critical challenge to protecting human, domestic animal, and wildlife health. Yet, current techniques to detect infections typically target known pathogens of humans or economically important animals. In the face of the current surge in infectious disease emergence, non-specific disease surveillance tools are urgently needed. Tracking common host immune responses indicative of recent infection may have potential as a non-specific diagnostic approach for disease surveillance. The challenge to immunologists is to identify the most promising markers, which ideally should be highly conserved across pathogens and host species, become upregulated rapidly and consistently in response to pathogen invasion, and remain elevated beyond clearance of infection. This study combined an infection experiment and a longitudinal observational study to evaluate the utility of non-specific markers of inflammation [NSMI; two acute phase proteins (haptoglobin and serum amyloid A), two pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ and TNF-α)] as indicators of pathogen exposure in a wild mammalian species, African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Specifically, in the experimental study, we asked (1) How quickly do buffalo mount NSMI responses upon challenge with an endemic pathogen, foot-and-mouth disease virus; (2) for how long do NSMI remain elevated after viral clearance and; (3) how pronounced is the difference between peak NSMI concentration and baseline NSMI concentration? In the longitudinal study, we asked (4) Are elevated NSMI associated with recent exposure to a suite of bacterial and viral respiratory pathogens in a wild population? Among the four NSMI that we tested, haptoglobin showed the strongest potential as a surveillance marker in African buffalo: concentrations quickly and consistently reached high levels in response to experimental infection, remaining elevated for almost a month. Moreover, elevated haptoglobin was indicative of recent exposure to two respiratory pathogens assessed in the longitudinal study. We hope this work motivates studies investigating suites of NSMI as indicators for pathogen exposure in a broader range of both pathogen and host species, potentially transforming how we track disease burden in natural populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline K Glidden
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Brianna Beechler
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Peter Erik Buss
- SANPARKS, Veterinary Wildlife Services, Skukuza, South Africa
| | | | - Lin-Mari de Klerk-Lorist
- Office of the State Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Skukuza, South Africa
| | - Francois Frederick Maree
- Vaccine and Diagnostic Development Programme, Transboundary Animal Diseases, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Timothy Muller
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | | | - Katherine Anne Scott
- Vaccine and Diagnostic Development Programme, Transboundary Animal Diseases, Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Ockert Louis van Schalkwyk
- Office of the State Veterinarian, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Skukuza, South Africa
| | - Anna Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Genton C, Cristescu R, Gatti S, Levréro F, Bigot E, Motsch P, Le Gouar P, Pierre JS, Ménard N. Using demographic characteristics of populations to detect spatial fragmentation following suspected ebola outbreaks in great apes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:3-10. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Céline Genton
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| | - Romane Cristescu
- GeneCology Research Centre; Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast; Sippy Downs QLD Australia
| | - Sylvain Gatti
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| | - Florence Levréro
- Université de Saint-Etienne/Lyon, Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197; Saint-Etienne France
| | - Elodie Bigot
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| | - Peggy Motsch
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| | - Pascaline Le Gouar
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Pierre
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1; Rennes France
| | - Nelly Ménard
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO-Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Biological Station of Paimpont; Paimpont France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lawrence P, Danet N, Reynard O, Volchkova V, Volchkov V. Human transmission of Ebola virus. Curr Opin Virol 2016; 22:51-58. [PMID: 28012412 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ever since the first recognised outbreak of Ebolavirus in 1976, retrospective epidemiological analyses and extensive studies with animal models have given us insight into the nature of the pathology and transmission mechanisms of this virus. In this review focusing on Ebolavirus, we present an outline of our current understanding of filovirus human-to-human transmission and of our knowledge concerning the molecular basis of viral transmission and potential for adaptation, with particular focus on what we have learnt from the 2014 outbreak in West Africa. We identify knowledge gaps relating to transmission and pathogenicity mechanisms, molecular adaptation and filovirus ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Lawrence
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France; Université de Lyon, UMRS 449, Laboratoire de Biologie Générale, Université Catholique de Lyon - EPHE, Lyon 69288, France
| | - Nicolas Danet
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Olivier Reynard
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Valentina Volchkova
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France
| | - Viktor Volchkov
- Molecular Basis of Viral Pathogenicity, International Centre for Research in Infectiology (CIRI), INSERM U1111 - CNRS UMR5308, Université Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 69007, France.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Leendertz SAJ, Wich SA, Ancrenaz M, Bergl RA, Gonder MK, Humle T, Leendertz FH. Ebola in great apes - current knowledge, possibilities for vaccination, and implications for conservation and human health. Mamm Rev 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siv Aina J. Leendertz
- Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP); United Nations Environment Programme; P.O. Box 30552 Nairobi Kenya
- Research Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms; Robert Koch-Institute; Seestrasse 10 13353 Berlin Germany
| | - Serge A. Wich
- Liverpool John Moore's University; 70 Mount Pleasant; Liverpool L3 5UA Merseyside UK
| | - Marc Ancrenaz
- Borneo Futures; Taman Kinanty, Lorong Angsa 12, House 61D 88300 Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Richard A. Bergl
- North Carolina Zoo; 4401 Zoo Parkway Asheboro North Carolina USA
| | - Mary K. Gonder
- Department of Biology; Drexel University; 3245 Chestnut Street Philadelphia PA 19104 USA
| | - Tatyana Humle
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology; School of Anthropology and Conservation; University of Kent; Canterbury CT2 7NR UK
| | - Fabian H. Leendertz
- Research Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms; Robert Koch-Institute; Seestrasse 10 13353 Berlin Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Folayan MO, Haire BG, Brown B. Critical role of ethics in clinical management and public health response to the West Africa Ebola epidemic. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2016; 9:55-65. [PMID: 27274326 PMCID: PMC4869630 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s83907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The devastation caused by the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa has brought to the fore a number of important ethical debates about how best to respond to a health crisis. These debates include issues related to prevention and containment, management of the health care workforce, clinical care, and research design, all of which are situated within the overarching moral problem of severe transnational disadvantage, which has very real and specific impacts upon the ability of citizens of EVD-affected countries to respond to a disease outbreak. Ethical issues related to prevention and containment include the appropriateness and scope of quarantine and isolation within and outside affected countries. The possibility of infection in health care workers impelled consideration of whether there is an obligation to provide health services where personal protection equipment is inadequate, alongside the issue of whether the health care workforce should have special access to experimental treatment and care interventions under development. In clinical care, ethical issues include the standards of care owed to people who comply with quarantine and isolation restrictions. Ethical issues in research include appropriate study design related to experimental vaccines and treatment interventions, and the sharing of data and biospecimens between research groups. The compassionate use of experimental drugs intersects both with research ethics and clinical care. The role of developed countries also came under scrutiny, and we concluded that developed countries have an obligation to contribute to the containment of EVD infection by contributing to the strengthening of local health care systems and infrastructure in an effort to provide fair benefits to communities engaged in research, ensuring that affected countries have ready and affordable access to any therapeutic or preventative interventions developed, and supporting affected countries on their way to recovery from the impact of EVD on their social and economic lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morenike O Folayan
- Institute of Public Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
- Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Bridget G Haire
- Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity in Society, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brandon Brown
- Center for Healthy Communities, Department of Social Medicine and Population Health, University of California Riverside School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cytomegalovirus-based vaccine expressing Ebola virus glycoprotein protects nonhuman primates from Ebola virus infection. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21674. [PMID: 26876974 PMCID: PMC4753684 DOI: 10.1038/srep21674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ebolaviruses pose significant public health problems due to their high lethality, unpredictable emergence, and localization to the poorest areas of the world. In addition to implementation of standard public health control procedures, a number of experimental human vaccines are being explored as a further means for outbreak control. Recombinant cytomegalovirus (CMV)-based vectors are a novel vaccine platform that have been shown to induce substantial levels of durable, but primarily T-cell-biased responses against the encoded heterologous target antigen. Herein, we demonstrate the ability of rhesus CMV (RhCMV) expressing Ebola virus (EBOV) glycoprotein (GP) to provide protective immunity to rhesus macaques against lethal EBOV challenge. Surprisingly, vaccination was associated with high levels of GP-specific antibodies, but with no detectable GP-directed cellular immunity.
Collapse
|
20
|
Khan MA, Hossain MU, Rakib-Uz-Zaman SM, Morshed MN. Epitope-based peptide vaccine design and target site depiction against Ebola viruses: an immunoinformatics study. Scand J Immunol 2015; 82:25-34. [PMID: 25857850 PMCID: PMC7169600 DOI: 10.1111/sji.12302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Ebola viruses (EBOVs) have been identified as an emerging threat in recent year as it causes severe haemorrhagic fever in human. Epitope‐based vaccine design for EBOVs remains a top priority because a mere progress has been made in this regard. Another reason is the lack of antiviral drug and licensed vaccine although there is a severe outbreak in Central Africa. In this study, we aimed to design an epitope‐based vaccine that can trigger a significant immune response as well as to prognosticate inhibitor that can bind with potential drug target sites using various immunoinformatics and docking simulation tools. The capacity to induce both humoral and cell‐mediated immunity by T cell and B cell was checked for the selected protein. The peptide region spanning 9 amino acids from 42 to 50 and the sequence TLASIGTAF were found as the most potential B and T cell epitopes, respectively. This peptide could interact with 12 HLAs and showed high population coverage up to 80.99%. Using molecular docking, the epitope was further appraised for binding against HLA molecules to verify the binding cleft interaction. In addition with this, the allergenicity of the epitopes was also evaluated. In the post‐therapeutic strategy, docking study of predicted 3D structure identified suitable therapeutic inhibitor against targeted protein. However, this computational epitope‐based peptide vaccine designing and target site prediction against EBOVs open up a new horizon which may be the prospective way in Ebola viruses research; the results require validation by in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M A Khan
- Department of Science and Humanities, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Mirpur Cantonment, Bangladesh
| | - M U Hossain
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Life Science Faculty, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Santosh, Bangladesh
| | - S M Rakib-Uz-Zaman
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Life Science Faculty, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Kumargaon, Bangladesh
| | - M N Morshed
- Department of Science and Humanities, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Mirpur Cantonment, Bangladesh
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lipovich L, Hou ZC, Jia H, Sinkler C, McGowen M, Sterner KN, Weckle A, Sugalski AB, Pipes L, Gatti DL, Mason CE, Sherwood CC, Hof PR, Kuzawa CW, Grossman LI, Goodman M, Wildman DE. High-throughput RNA sequencing reveals structural differences of orthologous brain-expressed genes between western lowland gorillas and humans. J Comp Neurol 2015; 524:288-308. [PMID: 26132897 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The human brain and human cognitive abilities are strikingly different from those of other great apes despite relatively modest genome sequence divergence. However, little is presently known about the interspecies divergence in gene structure and transcription that might contribute to these phenotypic differences. To date, most comparative studies of gene structure in the brain have examined humans, chimpanzees, and macaque monkeys. To add to this body of knowledge, we analyze here the brain transcriptome of the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), an African great ape species that is phylogenetically closely related to humans, but with a brain that is approximately one-third the size. Manual transcriptome curation from a sample of the planum temporale region of the neocortex revealed 12 protein-coding genes and one noncoding-RNA gene with exons in the gorilla unmatched by public transcriptome data from the orthologous human loci. These interspecies gene structure differences accounted for a total of 134 amino acids in proteins found in the gorilla that were absent from protein products of the orthologous human genes. Proteins varying in structure between human and gorilla were involved in immunity and energy metabolism, suggesting their relevance to phenotypic differences. This gorilla neocortical transcriptome comprises an empirical, not homology- or prediction-driven, resource for orthologous gene comparisons between human and gorilla. These findings provide a unique repository of the sequences and structures of thousands of genes transcribed in the gorilla brain, pointing to candidate genes that may contribute to the traits distinguishing humans from other closely related great apes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Lipovich
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Zhuo-Cheng Hou
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Department of Animal Genetics, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Jia
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Christopher Sinkler
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Michael McGowen
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirstin N Sterner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, 97403
| | - Amy Weckle
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801.,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801
| | - Amara B Sugalski
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Lenore Pipes
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Domenico L Gatti
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, 10021
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, 10024
| | | | - Lawrence I Grossman
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Morris Goodman
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201
| | - Derek E Wildman
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 48201.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801.,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, 61801
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Genton C, Pierre A, Cristescu R, Lévréro F, Gatti S, Pierre JS, Ménard N, Le Gouar P. How Ebola impacts social dynamics in gorillas: a multistate modelling approach. J Anim Ecol 2014; 84:166-76. [PMID: 24995485 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases can induce rapid changes in population dynamics and threaten population persistence. In socially structured populations, the transfers of individuals between social units, for example, from breeding groups to non-breeding groups, shape population dynamics. We suggest that diseases may affect these crucial transfers. We aimed to determine how disturbance by an emerging disease affects demographic rates of gorillas, especially transfer rates within populations and immigration rates into populations. We compared social dynamics and key demographic parameters in a gorilla population affected by Ebola using a long-term observation data set including pre-, during and post-outbreak periods. We also studied a population of undetermined epidemiological status in order to assess whether this population was affected by the disease. We developed a multistate model that can handle transition between social units while optimizing the number of states. During the Ebola outbreak, social dynamics displayed increased transfers from a breeding to a non-breeding status for both males and females. Six years after the outbreak, demographic and most of social dynamics parameters had returned to their initial rates, suggesting a certain resilience in the response to disruption. The formation of breeding groups increased just after Ebola, indicating that environmental conditions were still attractive. However, population recovery was likely delayed because compensatory immigration was probably impeded by the potential impact of Ebola in the surrounding areas. The population of undetermined epidemiological status behaved similarly to the other population before Ebola. Our results highlight the need to integrate social dynamics in host-population demographic models to better understand the role of social structure in the sensitivity and the response to disease disturbances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Céline Genton
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Amandine Pierre
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Romane Cristescu
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Florence Lévréro
- ENES/CNPS CNRS UMR 8195, Université de Saint-Etienne, Equipe Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, 42023, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Sylvain Gatti
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Jean-Sébastien Pierre
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Nelly Ménard
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| | - Pascaline Le Gouar
- UMR 6553, ECOBIO: Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Evolution, CNRS/University of Rennes 1, Station Biologique de Paimpont, 35380, Paimpont, France
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Carne C, Semple S, Morrogh-Bernard H, Zuberbühler K, Lehmann J. Predicting the vulnerability of great apes to disease: the role of superspreaders and their potential vaccination. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84642. [PMID: 24386405 PMCID: PMC3873990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease is a major concern for the conservation of great apes, and one that is likely to become increasingly relevant as deforestation and the rise of ecotourism bring humans and apes into ever closer proximity. Consequently, it is imperative that preventative measures are explored to ensure that future epidemics do not wipe out the remaining populations of these animals. In this paper, social network analysis was used to investigate vulnerability to disease in a population of wild orang-utans and a community of wild chimpanzees. Potential 'superspreaders' of disease--individuals with disproportionately central positions in the community or population--were identified, and the efficacy of vaccinating these individuals assessed using simulations. Three resident female orang-utans were identified as potential superspreaders, and females and unflanged males were predicted to be more influential in disease spread than flanged males. By contrast, no superspreaders were identified in the chimpanzee network, although males were significantly more central than females. In both species, simulating the vaccination of the most central individuals in the network caused a greater reduction in potential disease pathways than removing random individuals, but this effect was considerably more pronounced for orang-utans. This suggests that targeted vaccinations would have a greater impact on reducing disease spread among orang-utans than chimpanzees. Overall, these results have important implications for orang-utan and chimpanzee conservation and highlight the role that certain individuals may play in the spread of disease and its prevention by vaccination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Carne
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Semple
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Morrogh-Bernard
- The Orang-utan Tropical Peatland Project (OuTrop), Centre for International Cooperation in Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatland (CIMTROP), Universitas Palangka Raya, Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia
- Exeter University, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Labs, Perry Road, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary’s Quad, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
- Cognitive Science Centre, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Masi S, Chauffour S, Bain O, Todd A, Guillot J, Krief S. Seasonal effects on great ape health: a case study of wild chimpanzees and Western gorillas. PLoS One 2012; 7:e49805. [PMID: 23227152 PMCID: PMC3515584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Among factors affecting animal health, environmental influences may directly or indirectly impact host nutritional condition, fecundity, and their degree of parasitism. Our closest relatives, the great apes, are all endangered and particularly sensitive to infectious diseases. Both chimpanzees and western gorillas experience large seasonal variations in fruit availability but only western gorillas accordingly show large changes in their degree of frugivory. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare factors affecting health (through records of clinical signs, urine, and faecal samples) of habituated wild ape populations: a community (N = 46 individuals) of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in Kanyawara, Kibale National Park (Uganda), and a western gorilla (G. gorilla) group (N = 13) in Bai Hokou in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park (Central African Republic). Ape health monitoring was carried out in the wet and dry seasons (chimpanzees: July-December 2006; gorillas: April-July 2008 and December 2008-February 2009). Compared to chimpanzees, western gorillas were shown to have marginally greater parasite diversity, higher prevalence and intensity of both parasite and urine infections, and lower occurrence of diarrhea and wounds. Parasite infections (prevalence and load), but not abnormal urine parameters, were significantly higher during the dry season of the study period for western gorillas, who thus appeared more affected by the large temporal changes in the environment in comparison to chimpanzees. Infant gorillas were the most susceptible among all the age/sex classes (of both apes) having much more intense infections and urine blood concentrations, again during the dry season. Long term studies are needed to confirm the influence of seasonal factors on health and parasitism of these great apes. However, this study suggest climate change and forest fragmentation leading to potentially larger seasonal fluctuations of the environment may affect patterns of ape parasitism and further exacerbate health impacts on great ape populations that live in highly seasonal habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Masi
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Hommes, Natures, Sociétés UMR 7206 Éco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie, Paris, France.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Friedrich BM, Trefry JC, Biggins JE, Hensley LE, Honko AN, Smith DR, Olinger GG. Potential vaccines and post-exposure treatments for filovirus infections. Viruses 2012; 4:1619-50. [PMID: 23170176 PMCID: PMC3499823 DOI: 10.3390/v4091619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses of the family Filoviridae represent significant health risks as emerging infectious diseases as well as potentially engineered biothreats. While many research efforts have been published offering possibilities toward the mitigation of filoviral infection, there remain no sanctioned therapeutic or vaccine strategies. Current progress in the development of filovirus therapeutics and vaccines is outlined herein with respect to their current level of testing, evaluation, and proximity toward human implementation, specifically with regard to human clinical trials, nonhuman primate studies, small animal studies, and in vitro development. Contemporary methods of supportive care and previous treatment approaches for human patients are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian M. Friedrich
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
| | - John C. Trefry
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
| | - Julia E. Biggins
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
| | - Lisa E. Hensley
- United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Medical Science Countermeasures Initiative (McMi), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901, USA; (L.E.H.)
| | - Anna N. Honko
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
| | - Darci R. Smith
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
| | - Gene G. Olinger
- United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Division of Virology, 1425 Porter Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (B.M.F.); (J.C.T.); (J.E.B.); (A.N.H.); (D.R.S.)
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; (G.G.O.); Tel.: +1-301-619-8581; +1-301-619-2290
| |
Collapse
|