Because Gibraltar's macaques (Macaca sylvanus) have frequent contact with humans, we assayed 79 macaques for antibodies to enzootic primate viruses. All macaques were seronegative for herpesvirus B, simian T-cell lymphotropic virus, simian retrovirus, simian immunodeficiency virus, and rhesus cytomegalovirus. Seroprevalence of simian foamy virus reached 88% among adult animals.
High seroprevalence rates were found in different species of macaques, dependent on their origin. Very low infection rates found in Barbary macaques and cynomolgus macaques from Mauritius suggest that these animals in the wild are not commonly infected by SV40-like viruses.
Rationale: Prolonged exposure to the stress hormone cortisol can precipitate a catabolic state in animals resulting in a negative nitrogen balance and increased excreted nitrogen, possibly affecting stable nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in animal tissues. Here we test the hypothesis that stress, as measured by hair cortisol, is a significant contributor to variation in δ 15 N and δ 13 C values in hair. The results of the present study have important implications for the use of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios measured in animal and human tissues to make inferences regarding feeding ecology and diet.Methods: Samples containing roughly 10-20 hairs (approx. 4-6 cm long) were collected from 49 free ranging macaque monkeys (Macaca sylvanus) in Gibraltar.Hair samples were analyzed for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes by continuousflow isotope-ratio mass spectrometry. Cortisol extracted from matched hair samples was measured using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Cortisol and stable isotope ratios were compared statistically using nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, as well as Spearman correlation.Results: Correlation analysis revealed that although hair δ 15 N and δ 13 C values were significantly correlated with each other, neither was correlated with cortisol concentrations. Cortisol concentrations were not correlated with age-adjusted body mass index. Age category was correlated with δ 13 C values but not with δ 15 N values.
Conclusions:The results of our study suggest that the cumulative stress experienced by these macaques under typical social and environmental conditions is not a significant contributor to variation in δ 15 N and δ 13 C values, nor does it have a significant effect on relative body mass.
Pedicinus spp. parasitize several species of nonhuman primates. This is the first published report confirming the presence of Pedicinus albidus (Rudow) infestation in the free-ranging macaques (Macaca sylvanus) of Gibraltar. The diagnosis of pediculosis was based upon finding adult lice on host animals.
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