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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
Pandemic Human Viruses Cause Decline of Endangered Great Apes
Current Biology, Volume 18, No. 4, Year 2008
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Description
Commercial hunting and habitat loss are major drivers of the rapid decline of great apes [1]. Ecotourism and research have been widely promoted as a means of providing alternative value for apes and their habitats [2]. However, close contact between humans and habituated apes during ape tourism and research has raised concerns that disease transmission risks might outweigh benefits [3-7]. To date only bacterial and parasitic infections of typically low virulence have been shown to move from humans to wild apes [8, 9]. Here, we present the first direct evidence of virus transmission from humans to wild apes. Tissue samples from habituated chimpanzees that died during three respiratory-disease outbreaks at our research site, Côte d'Ivoire, contained two common human paramyxoviruses. Viral strains sampled from chimpanzees were closely related to strains circulating in contemporaneous, worldwide human epidemics. Twenty-four years of mortality data from observed chimpanzees reveal that such respiratory outbreaks could have a long history. In contrast, survey data show that research presence has had a strong positive effect in suppressing poaching around the research site. These observations illustrate the challenge of maximizing the benefit of research and tourism to great apes while minimizing the negative side effects. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Köndgen, Sophie
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Kühl, Hjalmar S.
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
N'Goran, Paul Kouame
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Cote D'ivoire, Abidjan
Centre Suisse de Recherche Scientifique
Walsh, Peter D.
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Schenk, Svenja
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Germany, Berlin
Institute of Biology
Ernst, Nancy
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Biek, Roman
United Kingdom, Glasgow
University of Glasgow
Formenty, Pierre Bernard Henri
Switzerland, Geneva
Organisation Mondiale de la Santé
Mätz-Rensing, Kerstin
Germany, Gottingen
Deutsches Primatenzentrum
Schweiger, Brunhilde
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Junglen, Sandra
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Ellerbrok, Heinz
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Nitsche, Andreas
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Briese, Thomas C.
United States, New York
Mailman School of Public Health
Lipkin, W. Ian
United States, New York
Mailman School of Public Health
Pauli, Georg
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Boesch, Christophe
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Leendertz, Fabian Hubertus
Germany, Berlin
Robert Koch Institute
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Statistics
Citations: 410
Authors: 18
Affiliations: 8
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1016/j.cub.2008.01.012
ISSN:
09609822
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Study Locations
Ivory Coast