Howler Monkeys

Kowalewski, Martín M.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1960-4

Cited by 13 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 296 publications

(614 reference statements)

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“…With the caveat that extrapolation of our findings must be considered with caution, due to the lack of systematic feeding records on each food species and the scarcity of diet data (particularly in the case of Ag and So), our results largely concur with previous studies of the diet of Mesoamerican primates (e.g., [32,60,77,78]. We find that the most important genera in the diets of these animals include large trees such as Ficus, Spondias and Brosimum.…”

Section: Most Important Plant Species In Dietsupporting

confidence: 88%

Plant diversity in the diet of Costa Rican primates in contrasting habitats: a meta-analysis

Chaves

Morales-Cerdas

Calderón-Quirós

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In human-modified tropical landscapes, the survival of arboreal vertebrates, particularly primates, depends on their plant dietary diversity. Here, we assessed diversity in the vegetative diets of Costa Rican non-human primates (i.e. Alouatta palliata palliata, Ateles geoffroyi, Cebus imitator, and Saimiri oerstedii) inhabiting a range of habitat types. Specifically, we assessed: (i) richness and dietary plant diversity, (ii) the β-diversity of dietary plant species and the relative importance of species turnover and nestedness in contributing to these patterns, and (iii) the main ecological drivers of the observed patterns in dietary plant assemblages. Data on diet were available for 33 Alouatta, 15 Cebus, 8 Ateles, and 5 Saimiri groups, from 37 published and unpublished studies. Considering all studies, dietary plant species richness was highest in Alouatta (454 spp.), followed by Ateles (329 spp.), Cebus (237 spp.), and Saimiri (183 spp.). However, rarefaction curves indicated that the diversity of plant species in diet was higher in Ateles than in the other three primate species. The diversity of plants was 868 species (range=1664-2041 species). The three top food species were Spondias mombin, Bursera simaruba, and Samanea saman. Species turnover was the mechanism responsible for most of the dissimilarity in the plant assemblages in diet (Beta-sim = 0.76). Finally, primate species, habitat type and, to a lesser degree, sampling effort were the best predictors of the dietary plant assemblages. Our findings suggest that primate diets are diverse, even in severely-disturbed habitats.

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Section: Most Important Plant Species In Dietsupporting

confidence: 88%

Plant diversity in the diet of Costa Rican primates in contrasting habitats: a meta-analysis

Chaves

Morales-Cerdas

Calderón-Quirós

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…brasilianum in Southern and Southeastern Brazil [5,40]. Besides their susceptibility to Plasmodium infection [5], their acrodendrophilic behavior, huge bodies, and the slower movement through the tree canopies (compared to the smaller monkeys) [41] may make them more prone to mosquito biting vectors. Importantly, the detection of malarial pigment in spleen fragments of eight (50%) of the subsample consisting of 16 howler monkeys from RJ and ES, some of which were Plasmodium -negative by PCR at the time of death, suggest that simian malaria is very frequent in this species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Howler monkeys are the reservoir of malarial parasites causing zoonotic infections in the Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro

et al. 2019

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BackgroundAlthough malaria cases have substantially decreased in Southeast Brazil, a significant increase in the number of Plasmodium vivax-like autochthonous human cases has been reported in remote areas of the Atlantic Forest in the past few decades in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) state, including an outbreak during 2015–2016. The singular clinical and epidemiological aspects in several human cases, and collectively with molecular and genetic data, revealed that they were due to the non-human primate (NHP) parasite Plasmodium simium; however, the understanding of the autochthonous malarial epidemiology in Southeast Brazil can only be acquired by assessing the circulation of NHP Plasmodium in the foci and determining its hosts.MethodologyA large sampling effort was carried out in the Atlantic forest of RJ and its bordering states (Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo) for collecting and examining free-living NHPs. Blood and/or viscera were analyzed for Plasmodium infections via molecular and microscopic techniques.Principal findingsIn total, 146 NHPs of six species, from 30 counties in four states, were tested, of which majority were collected from RJ. Howler monkeys (Alouatta clamitans) were the only species found infected. In RJ, 26% of these monkeys tested positive, of which 17% were found to be infected with P. simium. Importantly, specific single nucleotide polymorphisms–the only available genetic markers that differentiate P. simium from P. vivax–were detected in all P. simium infected A. clamitans despite their geographical origin of malarial foci. Interestingly, 71% of P. simium infected NHPs were from the coastal slope of a mountain chain (Serra do Mar), where majority of the human cases were found. Plasmodium brasilianum/malariae was initially detected in 14% and 25% free-living howler monkeys in RJ and in the Espírito Santo (ES) state, respectively. Moreover, the malarial pigment was detected in the spleen fragments of 50% of a subsample comprising dead howler monkeys in both RJ and ES. All NHPs were negative for Plasmodium falciparum.Conclusions/SignificanceOur data indicate that howler monkeys act as the main reservoir for the Atlantic forest human malarial parasites in RJ and other sites in Southeast Brazil and reinforce its zoonotic characteristics.

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“…Howlers have also been by far the NHP most commonly found parasitized with both P. simium and P. brasilianum in Southern and Southeastern Brazil [5]. Beside their susceptibility to Plasmodium infection [5], the acrodendrophilic behavior, the larger body surface, and the slower displacement (compared to the smaller monkeys) [35] may make them more exposed to the bites of the mosquito vectors. Importantly, the finding of malarial pigment in spleen fragments of 50% of a sub-sample consisting of howlers from RJ and ES, some of which Plasmodium -negative by PCR at the time of death, suggest that simian malaria is very frequent in this species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Howler monkeys are the reservoir of malaria parasites causing zoonotic infections in the Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro

Abreu¹,

Santos

Mello

et al. 2019

Preprint

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BackgroundAlthough malaria transmission was eradicated from southeast Brazil, a significant increase in the number of Plasmodium vivax-like autochthonous human cases has been reported in remote areas of the Atlantic Forest in the last decades in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) state, including an outbreak in 2015-2016. The singular clinical and epidemiological aspects of several human cases combined with molecular and genetic data revealed that they were due to the non-human primate (NHP) parasite P. simium. The full understanding of the epidemiology of the autochthonous malaria in southeastern Brazil depends, however, upon the knowledge on the circulation of NHP Plasmodium in the foci and the determination of its reservoirs.MethodologyA large sampling effort was carried out in the Atlantic forest of RJ and its bordering states (Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo) for capture and examination of free-living NHPs. Blood and/or viscera were analyzed for Plasmodia infections through molecular and microscopic techniques.Principal findingsIn total, 146 NHPs of six species, from 30 counties in four states were tested. Howler monkeys (A. guariba clamitans) were the only NHP species found infected. In RJ, 26% of howlers were positive, among them 17% were found to be infected with P. simium. Importantly, specific single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected in all P. simium infected howlers regardless geographical origin of malaria foci. Interestingly, 71% of P. simium infected NHP were from the coastal slope of a mountain chain (Serra do Mar), where most human cases have been occurring. P. brasilianum/malariae was detected for the first time in 14% free-living howlers in RJ as well as in 25% of those from the Espírito Santo state. Moreover, malarial pigment was detected in spleen fragments of 50% of a subsample composed of howler monkeys found dead in both RJ and ES. All NHPs were negative for P. falciparum.Conclusions/SignificanceOur data indicate the howler monkeys as the main reservoir of the Atlantic forest human malaria in RJ and other sites in Southeast Brazil and reinforce its zoonotic nature.Author summaryThe present work consists of an unprecedented capture effort and large-scale field survey of plasmodial species in Non-human primates (NHPs) in RJ, a state recording a three-decade history of autochthonous human cases of benign tertian malaria pending epidemiological clarification of their origin. For the first time, we describe infection rates by Plasmodium sp.in free-living NHP, match the spatial distribution of P. simium in NHP with that of local human cases of benign tertian malaria due to this parasite, disclose howler monkeys as the only confirmed reservoir of this zoonotic malaria in the state and showed that specific single nucleotide polymorphisms were present in all P. simium infected howlers, regardless of the geographical origin of malaria foci. It is also the first time that P. brasilianum/malariae is recorded in free-living NHPs from Rio de Janeiro and the widespread distribution of this quartan-malaria parasite of zoonotic potential in the state is illustrated. Together, these findings increase the understanding about the simian malaria parasites in Atlantic Forests, as well as on the zoonotic character of autochthonous human malaria in Rio de Janeiro, providing subsidies for shaping surveillance and control.

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Howler Monkeys

Cited by 13 publications

References 296 publications

Plant diversity in the diet of Costa Rican primates in contrasting habitats: a meta-analysis

Plant diversity in the diet of Costa Rican primates in contrasting habitats: a meta-analysis

Howler monkeys are the reservoir of malarial parasites causing zoonotic infections in the Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro

Howler monkeys are the reservoir of malaria parasites causing zoonotic infections in the Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro

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