Landscape drives zoonotic malaria prevalence in non-human primates

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Epidemiology
• Parasitology

Background:

• Zoonotic disease dynamics in wildlife are poorly understood at macroecological scales.
• Non-human primates (NHPs) are reservoirs for Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic malaria impacting public health in Southeast Asia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate geographic determinants of P. knowlesi prevalence in NHP reservoirs.
• To understand the relationship between P. knowlesi infection dynamics in NHPs and human spillover risk.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 6322 NHPs from 148 sites across Southeast Asia.
• Integration of remote sensing data with statistical modeling to assess spatial scales of infection.
• Analysis of land conversion and fragmentation impacts on parasite transmission.

Main Results:

• P. knowlesi prevalence in NHPs is heterogeneous across Southeast Asia, with notably high rates in Malaysian Borneo.
• Regions with high NHP prevalence overlap with human infection hotspots.
• Forest fragmentation and habitat complexity are significantly associated with P. knowlesi prevalence in NHPs.

Conclusions:

• NHP P. knowlesi prevalence is influenced by habitat complexity and fragmentation.
• Understanding NHP infection dynamics is critical for predicting and mitigating human P. knowlesi spillover.
• This study addresses key gaps in regional P. knowlesi epidemiology.