A global gap analysis of infectious agents in wild primates |
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Authors: | Mariah E Hopkins Charles L Nunn |
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Institution: | Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA,;Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany,;Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, University of California, CA 94720-3140, USA |
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Abstract: | A number of infectious diseases have emerged as threats to humans and wildlife. Despite the growing importance of georeferenced data for mitigating disease risk, information on parasite threat is patchily distributed at a global scale. In this paper, we explore the utility of gap analysis techniques to investigate the global geographical distribution of parasite sampling in non-human primates. Specifically, we identify geographical areas that are undersampled for parasites in relation to primate geographical distributions, primate taxonomic sampling, primate threat status, and parasite taxonomy. Our results reveal that East Asia (particularly China), South-East Asia, and the South American Amazon are the most deficient in sampling effort with respect to all criteria. We also identify sampling gaps based on several criteria in West and Central Africa. Future research aimed at filling these gaps is needed for both human health and primate conservation purposes. |
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Keywords: | GIS infectious disease parasites primates sampling gaps zoonoses |
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