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Endangered mountain gorillas and COVID-19: One health lessons for prevention and preparedness during a global pandemic.
Gilardi, Kirsten; Nziza, Julius; Ssebide, Benard; Syaluha, Eddy Kambale; Muvunyi, Richard; Aruho, Robert; Shalukoma, Chantal; Seguya, Andrew; Masozera, Anna Behm.
  • Gilardi K; Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.
  • Nziza J; Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.
  • Ssebide B; Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.
  • Syaluha EK; Gorilla Doctors (MGVP, Inc.), Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA.
  • Muvunyi R; Department of Tourism and Conservation, Rwanda Development Board, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Aruho R; Monitoring and Research Program, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Kampala, Uganda.
  • Shalukoma C; Institute Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, Virunga National Park, Rumangabo, Democratic Republic of Congo.
  • Seguya A; Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, Kigali, Rwanda.
  • Masozera AB; International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Kigali, Rwanda.
Am J Primatol ; 84(4-5): e23291, 2022 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1263051
ABSTRACT
The world's 1063 mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) live in two subpopulations at the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. The majority of mountain gorillas are human-habituated to facilitate tourism and research, which brings mountain gorillas into close proximity of people daily. Wild great apes are proven to be susceptible to human pathogens, including viruses that have caused fatal respiratory disease in mountain gorillas (e.g., human metapneumovirus1 ). This is the result of the close genetic relatedness of humans and gorillas as species, and the structural and genetic similarity in molecular receptors that allow viruses to infect cells2 . At the time of writing, there is no evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has infected a mountain gorilla. However, due to the significant potential for human-to-gorilla transmission, mountain gorilla range States took immediate steps to minimize the COVID-19 threat. These actions included a combination of preventive practice around gorillas and other great apes (e.g., mandatory face mask use, increased "social" minimum distancing from gorillas) as well as human public health measures (e.g., daily health/fever screenings, COVID-19 screening, and quarantines). Minimization of the COVID-19 threat also required socioeconomic decision-making and political will, as all gorilla tourism was suspended by late March 2020 and guidelines developed for tourism reopening. A consortium that collaborates and coordinates on mountain gorilla management and conservation, working within an intergovernmental institutional framework, took a multifaceted One Health approach to address the COVID-19 threat to mountain gorillas by developing a phased contingency plan for prevention and response. The aim of this paper is to describe how range States and partners achieved this collaborative planning effort, with intent that this real-world experience will inform similar actions at other great ape sites.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Viruses / Hominidae / Ape Diseases / One Health / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study Limits: Animals / Humans Language: English Journal: Am J Primatol Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Ajp.23291

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Viruses / Hominidae / Ape Diseases / One Health / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study Limits: Animals / Humans Language: English Journal: Am J Primatol Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Ajp.23291