“Spider Monkey Cotton”: Bridging Waiwai and Scientific Ontologies to Characterize Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus) Filariasis in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana

Shaffer, Christopher A.; Milstein, Marissa S.; Lindsey, Laramie L.; Wolf, Tamir; Suse, Philip; Marawanaru, Elisha; Kipp, Evan J.; Garwood, Tyler J.; Travis, Dominic A.; Terio, Karen A.; Larsen, Peter A.

doi:10.1007/s10764-021-00272-w

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…On necropsy, all Ateles paniscus individuals had filarial nematodes within their body cavity and these nematodes were unassociated with any tissues. Previous research at this site characterized these filarial nematodes as Dipetalonema caudispina , a non‐zoonotic, non‐pathogenic parasite (Shaffer et al, 2022). The Waiwai refer to this parasite as “spider monkey cotton” and consider it to be ubiquitous among spider monkeys (Shaffer et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The establishment of a collaborative surveillance program with indigenous hunters to characterize primate health in Southern Guyana

Milstein,

Shaffer,

Suse

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

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The consumption of primates is integral to the traditional subsistence strategies of many Indigenous communities throughout Amazonia. Understanding the overall health of primates harvested for food in the region is critical to Indigenous food security and thus, these communities are highly invested in long‐term primate population health. Here, we describe the establishment of a surveillance comanagement program among the Waiwai, an Indigenous community in the Konashen Amerindian Protected Area (KAPA). To assess primate health in the KAPA, hunters performed field necropsies on primates harvested for food and tissues collected from these individuals were analyzed using histopathology. From 2015 to 2019, hunters conducted 127 necropsies across seven species of primates. Of this sample, 82 primates (between 2015 and 2017) were submitted for histopathological screening. Our histopathology data revealed that KAPA primates had little evidence of underlying disease. Of the tissue abnormalities observed, the majority were either due to diet (e.g., hepatocellular pigment), degenerative changes resulting from aging (e.g., interstitial nephritis, myocyte lipofusion), or nonspecific responses to antigenic stimulation (renal and splenic lymphoid hyperplasia). In our sample, 7.32% of individuals had abnormalities that were consistent with a viral etiology, including myocarditis and hepatitis. Internal parasites were observed in 53.66% of individuals and is consistent with what would be expected from a free‐ranging primate population. This study represents the importance of baseline data for long‐term monitoring of primate populations hunted for food. More broadly, this research begins to close a critical gap in zoonotic disease risk related to primate harvesting in Amazonia, while also demonstrating the benefits of partnering with Indigenous hunters and leveraging hunting practices in disease surveillance and primate population health assessment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The establishment of a collaborative surveillance program with indigenous hunters to characterize primate health in Southern Guyana

Milstein,

Shaffer,

Suse

et al. 2024

American J Primatol

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“…Our team has been collaborating with the Waiwai of Masakenari since 2013 on a multidisciplinary project focusing on sustainable resource use and health [ 36 – 40 ]. In order to prioritize Waiwai research interests and goals, this project has involved extensive community-based, ethnographic research and community engagement, with team members living in the village during several months each year [ 36 , 39 , 40 ]. During this time, the research team observed that all dogs were owned by Waiwai families who provisioned food (i.e.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A mixed-methods approach to understanding domestic dog health and disease transmission risk in an indigenous reserve in Guyana, South America

Milstein

Shaffer

Suse³

et al. 2022

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) can transmit a variety of pathogens due to their ubiquitousness in urban, rural and natural environments, and their close interactions with wildlife and humans. In this study, we used a mixed-methods approach to assess the role of domestic dogs as potential intermediaries of disease transmission from wildlife to humans among indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. To address these objectives we 1) performed physical examinations and collected biological samples to assess Waiwai domestic dog health, and 2) administered questionnaires to characterize the role of dogs in the community and identify potential transmission pathways between wildlife, dogs, and humans. We observed ectoparasites on all dogs (n = 20), including: fleas (100%), ticks (15%), botflies (30%), and jigger flea lesions (Tunga penetrans) (80%). Ten percent of dogs were seropositive for Ehrlichia canis/ewingii, 10% were positive for Dirofilaria immitis, and one dog was seropositive for Leishmania infantum. All dogs (n = 20) were seronegative for: canine distemper virus, Brucella canis, Leptospira serovars, Trypanosoma cruzi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum/platys and Borrelia burgdorferi. Our questionnaire data revealed that the Waiwai remove ectoparasites from their dogs, clean up dog feces, and administer traditional and/or Western medicine to their dogs. White blood cell, strongyle-type ova, and eosinophil counts were lower in dogs that were not frequently used for hunting, dogs that did receive traditional and/or western medicine, and dogs that were frequently kept in elevated dog houses, although differences were not statistically significant. While our results suggest that the Waiwai have developed cultural practices that may promote dog health and/or prevent zoonotic disease transmission, more research is necessary to determine the efficacy of these practices. Our study provides important data on the health of dogs and the potential for disease transmission to humans in a zoonotic hotspot.

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“…184 Some studies integrate local ecological knowledge and scientific ecological knowledge for a holistic understanding of primate disease ecology. 185 The lack of integration between indigenous knowledge and scientific practice can also harm science. For example, there was confusion regarding whether two spinosaurid dinosaurs from the Araripe Basin, Brazil were from the same or different individuals brought about by the challenges generated from illegal collection of fossils and lack of cooperation with local researchers.…”

Section: Scientific Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indigenous knowledge of long‐term changes to caribou populations has been integrated with scientific ecological knowledge to broaden the historical context for future management 184 . Some studies integrate local ecological knowledge and scientific ecological knowledge for a holistic understanding of primate disease ecology 185 . The lack of integration between indigenous knowledge and scientific practice can also harm science.…”

Section: Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specimens as individuals: Four interventions and recommendations for great ape skeletal collections research and curation

Kralick,

Canington,

Eller

et al. 2023

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Extensive discourse surrounds the ethics of human skeletal research and curation, but there has yet to be a similar discussion of the treatment of great ape skeletal remains, despite the clear interest in their ethical treatment when alive. Here we trace the history of apes who were killed and collected for natural history museums during the early 20th century and showcase how the guiding research questions of the colonial era continue to influence scholarship. We discuss best practices for improving industry and academic standards of research on, and the curation of, ape remains. The suggested interventions involve restoring individual identity and narrative to great apes while engaging with contextual reflexivity and decolonial theory. The resulting recommendations include contextualizing the individual, piecing individuals back together, challenging/questioning the captive‐wild dichotomy, and collaborative international conversations. Our objective is to encourage a conversation regarding ethical and theoretical considerations in great ape skeletal remains research.

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“Spider Monkey Cotton”: Bridging Waiwai and Scientific Ontologies to Characterize Spider Monkey (Ateles paniscus) Filariasis in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana

Cited by 13 publications

References 50 publications

The establishment of a collaborative surveillance program with indigenous hunters to characterize primate health in Southern Guyana

The establishment of a collaborative surveillance program with indigenous hunters to characterize primate health in Southern Guyana

A mixed-methods approach to understanding domestic dog health and disease transmission risk in an indigenous reserve in Guyana, South America

Specimens as individuals: Four interventions and recommendations for great ape skeletal collections research and curation

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