Although humans have always shared habitats with nonhuman primates, the dynamics of human-primate interactions have changed dramatically in the recent past. As human population density continues to increase exponentially, speeding the reduction and fragmentation of primate habitat, greater human-primate contact is inevitable and higher rates of pathogen transmission are likely. Forest-agricultural ecotones are a dominant interface where wild primates alter their behavioral ecology to exploit the significant nutritional benefits available through crop-raiding. However, this interface also creates exceptional opportunity for inter-species disease transmission through multiple mechanisms. We have examined opportunities for pathogen exchange associated with wild primate crop-raiding in and around Kibale National Park in Uganda and Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.
Results/Conclusions
Our work demonstrates that crop-raiding promotes transmission of the common gastrointestinal bacterium Escherichia coli, as well as pathogenic enterics such as Cryptosporidium and Shigella. Our work stresses that direct contact between species is not necessary for interspecific disease transmission at the forest-agricultural interface. Indeed, our results suggest that most transmission of gastrointestinal pathogens between people, livestock, and wild primates is probably indirect and environmental.