Relationships between parasite loads, disease transmission and habitat disturbance in northern Argentina.

KOWALEWSKI, M MARTIN; MARTINEZ, MARIELA; GILLESPIE, THOMAS R

Iguazu

Congreso; 59 Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) International Meeting; 2010

Wildlife Disease Association (WDA)

Exponential expansion of human populations and human activities within primate habitats has resulted in high potential for pathogen exchange creating challenges for biodiversity conservation and global health. We have begun a long term project exploring the relationship between the dynamics of zoonotic diseases transmission and the health status of humans, domestic animals, and non-human primates. At the moment this study was carried out at four different sites that differ in their degree of habitat alteration and degradation and levels of contact with humans and wild animals in Chaco and Corrientes Provinces, in northern Argentina. We collected 250 fecal samples from 40-45 groups of black and gold howlers, Alouatta caraya, seasonally to identify gastrointestinal parasites. We detected the presence of the following parasites:  Ascaris sp., Bertiella sp., Blastocystis sp., Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hystolitica, Giardia sp., Iodamoeba sp., Strongyloides sp., Taenia sp., Toxocara sp., Trychonstrongylus sp., Trypanoxyuris minutus and Uncinaria sp. Prevalence differ across seasons (p<0.05) and across sites (p<0.05), and at least 5 species of parasites were found to be likely shared by howlers and humans that live in proximity (to be confirmed via molecular analyses). This research will provide new insights in the identification of risk factors for diseases transmission improving the ability of conservationists and policy-makers to make informed decisions about the risks and benefits of timber exploitation, wildlife conservation, and human health in developing countries.