Social Processes and Disease in Nonhuman Primates: Introduction to the Special Section

Abstract

Most nonhuman primate species are remarkably social, but their social nature presents many challenges, including increased opportunities for pathogen transmission and development of disease (both physical and psychological). An interdisciplinary symposium was convened at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Society of Primatologists on the topic of social processes and disease in nonhuman primates, and four articles from that session, as well as a fifth that was separately solicited, appear in this special section. The articles reflect a variety of disciplines and perspectives that highlight the many ways that social processes can impact disease processes (and vice versa) in this highly social taxon. This is an increasingly active area of research interest as a consequence of technological developments and the availability of long-term field data. The continuing loss of primate habitat in the wild, climate change, and the need to manage high densities of primates in captivity, however, all add urgency to our need to better understand the bidirectional relationship between social factors and disease processes.

Bocaparvovirus,ErythroparvovirusandTetraparvovirusin New World Primates from Central America

“…PARV4 risk is elevated in immunosuppressed humans and OWP (Fryer et al, ; Green et al, ; Matthews et al, ). Animals in captivity may experience increased stress (Morgan & Tromborg, ), and infectious agents are known to increase in prevalence in captive wildlife (Capitanio, ). Captive environments also facilitate direct and indirect contact among individuals, troops or even different monkey species including common waterways, food handling, proximity of traps and transfer of animals into captive centres, which may favour PARV4 transmission (Drexler et al, ; Panning et al, ).…”

Bocaparvovirus, Erythroparvovirus and Tetraparvovirus in New World Monkeys from Central America

“…PARV4 risk is elevated in immunosuppressed humans and other animals (Matthews et al, 2014; Fryer et al, 2007). Animals in captivity may experience increased stress (Morgan & Tromborg 2007), and infectious agents are known to increase in prevalence in captive wildlife (Capitanio 2012). Captive environments also facilitate direct and indirect contact among individuals, troops or even different monkey species including through common waterways, food handling, proximity of traps, and transfer of animals into captive centers, which may favor PARV4 transmission (Drexler et al, 2012; Panning et al, 2010).…”

Emerging Coronaviruses in Neotropical Primates: A New Threat?

“…The phylogenetic proximity between NHP and humans favors the cross-transmission of infectious agents and poses an additional threat (COOPER and NUNN, 2013). One should also consider that, unlike most mammal species, NHP are highly social and form complex and heterogeneous groups, which exponentially increases the intraespecific dissemination of diseases (CAPITANIO, 2012). Among the diseases shared between humans and NHP, one of great relevance is yellow fever.…”