Yellow fever in Brazil threatens successful recovery of endangered golden lion tamarins

Abstract

The golden lion tamarin is an endangered primate endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Centuries of deforestation reduced numbers to a few hundred individuals in isolated forest fragments 80 km from Rio de Janeiro city. Intensive conservation action including reintroduction of zoo-born tamarins into forest fragments 1984–2000, increased numbers to about 3,700 in 2014. Beginning in November 2016, southeastern Brazil experienced the most severe yellow fever epidemic/epizootic in the country in 80 years. In May 2018, we documented the first death of a golden lion tamarin due to yellow fever. We re-evaluated population sizes and compared them to results of a census completed in 2014. Tamarin numbers declined 32%, with ca. 2,516 individuals remaining in situ. Tamarin losses were significantly greater in forest fragments that were larger, had less forest edge and had better forest connectivity, factors that may favor the mosquito vectors of yellow fever. The future of golden lion tamarins depends on the extent of additional mortality, whether some tamarins survive the disease and acquire immunity, and the potential development of a vaccine to protect the species against yellow fever.

Dramatic decline in a titi monkey population after the 2016–2018 sylvatic yellow fever outbreak in Brazil

“…Given the absence of accurate pre‐outbreak demographic data for most species, reported figures are likely underestimating the damage. Populations of A. guariba clamitans, B. hypoxanthus, C. personatus, S. nigritus, C. flaviceps, C. geoffroyi , and L. rosalia (Dietz et al, 2019; Gontijo, 2019; Lopes, 2017; Possamai et al, 2019; Strier et al, 2019) in addition to C. nigrifrons (this study) have suffered dramatic losses. The risk of the YF virus remaining in the same region for three transmission seasons or longer (Abreu, Delatorre, et al, 2019), re‐emerging and causing further population declines is real.…”

“…Brazil is the world's richest country in primate diversity, but 48% of its primate species have declining populations because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting, infectious diseases and climate change (Estrada et al, 2018). This YF outbreak rosalia (Dietz et al, 2019;Gontijo, 2019;Lopes, 2017;Strier et al, 2019) in addition to C. nigrifrons (this study)…”

Pterygodermatites nycticebi infections in golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia rosalia) and aye‐ayes (Daubentonia madagascariensis) from a German zoo

“…Zoo animals are considered as a valuable resource of endangered species, such as golden lion tamarins ( L. rosalia rosalia ) endemic in the Atlantic forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil (Dietz et al, 2019; Ruiz‐Miranda et al, 2019). P. nycticebi infections have been associated with severe or even fatal outcome in prosimian primates (Ikeda et al, 2003; Montali et al, 1983).…”

Re-emergence of yellow fever in the neotropics — quo vadis?

“…YF usually occurs during the rainy season, when population densities of Haemagogus species mosquitoes are at their highest. Since 1985, the number of reported YF cases following sylvatic spillover has increased, including outbreaks in Peru [22], Bolivia [23], Paraguay [24], and Brazil [13,25] [reviewed in [26] and [27,28]] ( Figure 2B). These re-emergence events are not surprising as regular epizootic activity in South America frequently results in large die-offs among susceptible non-human primate (NHP) populations and spillover into humans, especially unvaccinated agricultural and forest workers (e.g.…”