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The geographic distribution of infection with the bacterium Treponema pallidum in nonhuman primates (NHPs) in Africa has been reported to closely match the one seen in human yaws in Africa [...]

Infectious disease outbreaks pose a significant threat to the conservation of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and all threatened nonhuman primates. Characterizing and mitigating these threats to support the sustainability and welfare of wild populations is of the highest priority. In an attempt to understand and mitigate the risk of disease for the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park, Tanzania, we initiated a long‐term health‐monitoring program in 2004. While the initial focus was to expand the ongoing behavioral research on chimpanzees to include standardized data on clinical signs of health, it soon became evident that the scope of the project would ideally include diagnostic surveillance of pathogens for all primates (including people) and domestic animals, both within and surrounding the National Park. Integration of these data, along with in‐depth post‐mortem examinations, have allowed us to establish baseline health indicators to inform outbreak response. Here, we describe the development and expansion of the Gombe Ecosystem Health project, review major findings from the research and summarize the challenges and lessons learned over the past 16 years. We also highlight future directions and present the opportunities and challenges that remain when implementing studies of ecosystem health in a complex, multispecies environment. Research Highlights: Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to the conservation of nonhuman primates.We began a health‐monitoring program in 2004 to understand and mitigate the risk of disease for chimpanzees at Gombe National Park.We describe the expansion of the project over 16 years beyond chimpanzees and beyond the National Park and review major findings and lessons learned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease and other health hazards pose serious threats to the persistence of wild ape populations. The total chimpanzee population at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, has declined from an estimated 120 to 150 individuals in the 1960's to around 100 individuals by the end of 2013, with death associated with observable signs of disease as the leading cause of mortality. In 2004, we began a non‐invasive health‐monitoring program in the two habituated communities in the park (Kasekela and Mitumba) with the aim of understanding the prevalence of health issues in the population, and identifying the presence and impacts of various pathogens. Here we present prospectively collected data on clinical signs (observable changes in health) in the chimpanzees of the Kasekela (n = 81) and Mitumba (n = 32) communities over an 8‐year period (2005–2012). First, we take a population approach and analyze prevalence of clinical signs in five different categories: gastrointestinal system (diarrhea), body condition (estimated weight loss), respiratory system (coughing, sneezing etc.), wounds/lameness, and dermatologic issues by year, month, and community membership. Mean monthly prevalence of each clinical sign per community varied, but typically affected <10% of observed individuals. Secondly, we analyze the presence of clinical signs in these categories as they relate to individual demographic and social factors (age, sex, and dominance rank) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz) infection status. Adults have higher odds of being observed with diarrhea, loss of body condition, and wounds or lameness when compared to immatures, while males have a higher probability of being observed with wounds or lameness than females. In contrast, signs of respiratory illness appear not to be related to chimpanzee‐specific factors and skin abnormalities are very rare. For a subset of known‐rank individuals, dominance rank predicts the probability of wounding/lameness in adult males, but does not predict any adverse clinical signs in adult females. Instead, adult females with SIVcpz infection are more likely to be observed with diarrhea, a finding that warrants further investigation. Comparable data are needed from other sites to determine whether the prevalence of clinical signs we observe are relatively high or low, as well as to more fully understand the factors influencing health of wild apes at both the population and individual level. Am. J. Primatol. 80:e22562, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We present a study of skeletal damage to four chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) infanticide victims from Gombe National Park, Tanzania. Skeletal analysis may provide insight into the adaptive significance of infanticide by examining whether nutritional benefits sufficiently explain infanticidal behavior. The nutritional hypothesis would be supported if bone survivorship rates and skeletal damage patterns are comparable to those of monkey prey. If not, other explanations, such as the resource competition hypothesis, should be considered. Methods Taphonomic assessment of two chimpanzee infants included description of breakage and surface modification, data on MNE, %MNE, and bone survivorship. Two additional infants were assessed qualitatively. The data were compared to published information on monkey prey. We also undertook a review of published infanticide cases. Results The cases were intercommunity infanticides (one male and three female infants) committed by males. Attackers partially consumed two of the victims. Damage to all four infants included puncture marks and compression fractures to the cranium, crenulated breaks to long bones, and incipient fractures on ribs. Compared to monkey prey, the chimpanzee infants had an abundance of vertebrae and hand/foot bones. Conclusions The cases described here suggest that chimpanzees may not always completely consume infanticide victims, while reports on chimpanzee predation indicated that complete consumption of monkey prey usually occurred. Infanticidal chimpanzees undoubtedly gain nutritional benefits when they consume dead infants, but this benefit may not sufficiently explain infanticide in this species. Continued study of infanticidal and hunting behavior, including skeletal analysis, is likely to be of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The olive baboon (Papio anubis) is the most widely distributed baboon species. We report here on the complete mitochondrial genome of an olive baboon from the south-eastern edge of the species’ range from Gombe National Park (NP), Tanzania. The genome (GenBank accession number MG787545) has a length of 16,490 bp and exhibits the typical structure of mammalian mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetically, the olive baboon from Gombe NP is most closely related to eastern P. anubis, northern P. cynocephalus and P. hamadryas. The data are an important addition to further clarify the phylogeography of baboons and phylogeny of papionins in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disease and other health hazards pose serious threats to the persistence of wild ape populations. The total chimpanzee population at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, has declined from an estimated 120 to 150 individuals in the 1960's to around 100 individuals by the end of 2013, with death associated with observable signs of disease as the leading cause of mortality. In 2004, we began a non-invasive health-monitoring program in the two habituated communities in the park (Kasekela and Mitumba) with the aim of understanding the prevalence of health issues in the population, and identifying the presence and impacts of various pathogens. Here we present prospectively collected data on clinical signs (observable changes in health) in the chimpanzees of the Kasekela (n = 81) and Mitumba (n = 32) communities over an 8-year period (2005-2012). First, we take a population approach and analyze prevalence of clinical signs in five different categories: gastrointestinal system (diarrhea), body condition (estimated weight loss), respiratory system (coughing, sneezing etc.), wounds/lameness, and dermatologic issues by year, month, and community membership. Mean monthly prevalence of each clinical sign per community varied, but typically affected <10% of observed individuals. Secondly, we analyze the presence of clinical signs in these categories as they relate to individual demographic and social factors (age, sex, and dominance rank) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVcpz) infection status. Adults have higher odds of being observed with diarrhea, loss of body condition, and wounds or lameness when compared to immatures, while males have a higher probability of being observed with wounds or lameness than females. In contrast, signs of respiratory illness appear not to be related to chimpanzee-specific factors and skin abnormalities are very rare. For a subset of known-rank individuals, dominance rank predicts the probability of wounding/lameness in adult males, but does not predict any adverse clinical signs in adult females. Instead, adult females with SIVcpz infection are more likely to be observed with diarrhea, a finding that warrants further investigation. Comparable data are needed from other sites to determine whether the prevalence of clinical signs we observe are relatively high or low, as well as to more fully understand the factors influencing health of wild apes at both the population and individual level. Am. J. Primatol. 80:e22562, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)