Diversity and prevalence of zoonotic infections at the animal-human interface of primate trafficking in Peru

Authors

A. Patricia Mendoza, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Ana Muñoz-Maceda, University of Kent
Bruno M. Ghersi, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Micaela De La Puente, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Carlos Zariquiey, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Nancy Cavero, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Yovana Murillo, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Miguel Sebastian, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Yohani Ibañez, Wildlife Conservation Society - Peru
Patricia G. Parker, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Department of BiologyFollow
Alberto Perez, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Argentina
Marcela Uhart, University of California, Davis
Janine Robinson, University of Kent
Sarah H. Olson, Wildlife Conservation Society
Marieke H. Rosenbaum, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Wildlife trafficking creates favorable scenarios for intra- and inter-specific interactions that can lead to parasite spread and disease emergence. Among the fauna affected by this activity, primates are relevant due to their potential to acquire and share zoonoses - infections caused by parasites that can spread between humans and other animals. Though it is known that most primate parasites can affect multiple hosts and that many are zoonotic, comparative studies across different contexts for animal-human interactions are scarce. We conducted a multi-parasite screening targeting the detection of zoonotic infections in wild-caught monkeys in nine Peruvian cities across three contexts: captivity (zoos and rescue centers, n = 187); pet (households, n = 69); and trade (trafficked or recently confiscated, n = 132). We detected 32 parasite taxa including mycobacteria, simian foamyvirus, bacteria, helminths, and protozoa. Monkeys in the trade context had the highest prevalence of hemoparasites (including Plasmodium malariae/brasilianum, Trypanosoma cruzi, and microfilaria) and enteric helminths and protozoa were less common in pet monkeys. However, parasite communities showed overall low variation between the three contexts. Parasite richness (PR) was best explained by host genus and the city where the animal was sampled. Squirrel (genus Saimiri) and wooly (genus Lagothrix) monkeys had the highest PR, which was ~2.2 times the PR found in tufted capuchins (genus Sapajus) and tamarins (genus Saguinus/Leontocebus) in a multivariable model adjusted for context, sex, and age. Our findings illustrate that the threats of wildlife trafficking to One Health encompass exposure to multiple zoonotic parasites well-known to cause disease in humans, monkeys, and other species. We demonstrate these threats continue beyond the markets where wildlife is

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Publication Title

PLoS ONE

E-ISSN

19326203

Volume

19

Issue

2 February

Original Article Number

e0287893

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0287893

PubMed ID

38324542

Funding Number

R24 TW007988

Funding Sponsor

National Institutes of Health

Recommended Citation

Mendoza, A. Patricia; Muñoz-Maceda, Ana; Ghersi, Bruno M.; Puente, Micaela De La; Zariquiey, Carlos; Cavero, Nancy; Murillo, Yovana; Sebastian, Miguel; Ibañez, Yohani; Parker, Patricia G.; Perez, Alberto; Uhart, Marcela; Robinson, Janine; Olson, Sarah H.; and Rosenbaum, Marieke H., "Diversity and prevalence of zoonotic infections at the animal-human interface of primate trafficking in Peru" (2024). Biology Department Faculty Works. 197.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287893
Available at: https://irl.umsl.edu/biology-faculty/197