50 Morbidity and mortality
Human–ape disease transmission
In recent years the threat to ape communities posed by contact with human beings (and
vice versa) has come to be increasingly recognized, and during the writing of this book
a 3-day meeting was organized by Christophe Boesch at the Max Planck Institute of
Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig to discuss the issue. As a result of this meeting,
a new network of wildlife veterinarians and laboratories is currently being set up to
investigate the extent of the problems and to find ways of preventing this kind of disease
transmission in the future.
Homsy (1999) has listed the large number of pathogens of humans to which chim-
panzees are known to be susceptible, and the equally large number of pathogens of
chimpanzees to which humans are known to be susceptible. A very large number of
viruses, bacteria and parasites are involved. Since the Leipzig meeting referred to above,
strenuous efforts are now being made to identify pathogens before epidemics take their
toll of wild (and, of course, captive) populations. In some cases, such as ebola, extreme
care has to be taken in collecting samples, let alone performing necropsies, in the field.
For example, it is necessary to take all the equipment required to the site where the ani-
mal has died, set up a mobile laboratory on the forest floor, and wear fully protective
clothing; these conditions are extremely demanding of time, energy and resources yet
are essential if severe and highly contagious diseases are to be effectively diagnosed and
preventive measures taken.
In the case of the polio and influenza epidemics at Gombe and Mitumba, transmission
by humans may have been responsible (Wallis and Lee 1999). What the future holds for
Fig. 3.7: Magosi sitting on trail looking up into trees (photo: V.R.).