Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
7
The role of
Macaca fascicularis
in
infectious agent transmission
gregory Engel and lisa Jones-Engel
Introduction
In
Chapter 1
, Gumert discusses the various ways in which humans interact with
long-tailed macaques, pointing out how human and macaque behaviors shape
these encounters. Understanding interspecies interactions provides an indis-
pensable backdrop for considering how infectious agents are transmitted both
from humans to primates and from primates to humans (Daszak
et al
.,
2001
).
It should be appreciated that, while we focus our discussion here on cross-
species transmission between humans and primates, this dyadic interaction
takes place within a much larger and more complex pathogen landscape that
includes many other species present in the environment, as well as the environ-
ment itself, which constitutes an additional reservoir of infectious agents.
The likelihood of interspecies infectious agent transmission depends on
numerous factors, including prevalence of infectious agents in the reservoir
population, capacity of the potential “recipient” to sustain infection, and the
manner in which species interact (Jones
et al
.,
2008
). Consider, for example,
a pet monkey and its owner. Pet owners may have close contact with a pet for
years. They may share food and water with their pets, allow the pets to climb
on their shoulders or head, even sleep near their pet. In some cases, the mon-
key is considered a part of the family, interacting with other family members,
neighbors, and other animals in and around the home. Intimate contact over an
extended period of time provides the opportunity for the bidirectional trans-
mission of multiple infectious agents via multiple routes. Face-to-face contact
facilitates the transmission of respiratory pathogens - likely from human to
pet - such as a wide range of respiratory viruses, as well as tuberculosis.
Physical contact, especially with the monkey climbing about on the owner's
head and shoulders, may provide access for respiratory viruses present on the
monkey's hands and feet to the owners' mucous membranes: nose, mouth
and eyes. Infections with gastrointestinal pathogens are transmitted through
