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Does habitat disturbance increase infectious disease risk for primates?
Hillary Young1, Randi H Griffin, Chelsea L Wood
1Center for the Environment, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. hyoung@fas.harvard.edu
Ecology Letters
|March 2, 2013
Summary
Ecosystem conservation
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Conservation Biology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Investigated the link between ecosystem conservation and infectious disease risk in primates.
- Examined how human disturbance impacts parasite richness, prevalence, and immune defenses.
Discussion:
- Meta-analysis revealed no overall effect of disturbance on parasite prevalence, except for indirectly transmitted parasites.
- Higher host species richness was associated with increased parasite risk in primates.
Key Insights:
- Anthropogenic impacts on disease transmission are complex and context-dependent.
- Ecosystem conservation's role in mitigating disease requires nuanced understanding.
Outlook:
- Further research needed to define conditions under which environmental change affects disease transmission.
- Integrative approaches combining ecological and epidemiological data are crucial.
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