Rabies in primates: are aggressive pet lemurs a risk to humans?

Non-human primates harbor zoonotic pathogens including the rabies virus (Rabies lyssavirus). Though the chances of rabies transmission from primates is low, guidelines currently recommend a post-exposure prophylaxis for unvaccinated persons. In Madagascar, lemurs have been described as carriers of the rabies virus, but a discussion about the risk of rabies transmission to humans from lemurs, particularly in the context of in-country ownership of lemurs, has not been studied. We use qualitative and quantitative data collected from household surveys (n = 271 interviewees who had seen a pet lemur across 1 2 urban towns), web-based surveys (n = 229), and the literature (publications using data collected by the Institute Pasteur of Madagascar over the last century) to examine the context in which the rabies virus could be transmitted from lemurs to humans. Though only a few wild and pet lemurs in Madagascar have tested positive for rabies, post-exposure treatment is sometimes also sought out following aggressive incidents with lemurs. Many interviewees (22 ± 6%, mean ± 95% confidence interval CI) across 1 2 towns indicated that pet lemurs they had seen, had a history of aggression. Some lemur owners appear to be aware that their pets could transmit the rabies virus and seek veterinary care to prevent this. The public health burden of rabies is relatively low in Madagascar and despite some anecdotes in the literature, it appears that lemurs are rarely the source of rabies when humans become infected. However, this case study highlights the lack of data and publications regarding the public health implications of human-lemur contact in Madagascar. RÉSUMÉLes primates non-humains hébergent des pathogènes zoonotiques incluant le virus de la rage (Rabies lyssavirus). Bien que les risques de transmission de la rage par les primates soient faibles, les lignes directrices recommandent actuellement une prophylaxie post-exposition pour les personnes non vaccinées. À Madagascar, les lémuriens ont été décrits comme porteurs du virus de la rage, mais une discussion sur le risque de transmission de la rage à l'Homme par les lémuriens, en particulier dans le contexte de la propriété locale des lémuriens, n'a pas été étudiée. Nous utilisons des données qualitatives et quantitatives collectées à partir d'enquêtes auprès des foyers (n = 271 interviewés ayant vu un lémurien dans 1 2 villes), des enquêtes en ligne (n = 229) et de la littérature (publications utilisant des données collectées par l' Institut Pasteur de Madagascar au cours du siècle dernier) pour examiner le contexte dans lequel le virus de la rage pourrait être transmis par les lémuriens aux humains. Bien que seuls quelques lémuriens sauvages et animaux de compagnie à Madagascar aient été testés positifs à la rage, un traitement post-exposition est parfois également recherché suite à des agressions par des lémuriens. De nombreuses personnes interrogées (22 ± 6%, moyenne ± Intervalle de confiance IC à 95%) dans 1 2 villes ont indiqué que les animaux de compagnie qu' ils avaient vus avaient des antécédents d'agression. Quelques propriétaires de lémuriens semblent être conscients que leurs animaux de compagnie peuvent transmettre le virus de la rage et demander des soins vétérinaires pour éviter cela. La rage constitue une charge relativement faible pour la santé publique à Madagascar et malgré quelques anecdotes dans la littérature, il semble que les lémuriens soient rarement la source de la rage lorsque les humains sont infectés. Cependant, cette étude de cas souligne le manque de données et de publications concernant les implications / conséquences du contact entre humains et lémuriens sur la santé publique à Madagascar

Trade of parrots in urban areas of Madagascar

The live capture of parrots is causing increasing concern across Africa. In Madagascar, home to three species of parrot (Coracopsis nigra, C. vasa, Agapornis canus), no study has examined how these species are being extracted from the wild and traded. In this study, we examined the procurement, length of ownership, and the end of ownership of pet parrots. Data were collected via household surveys (n = 440 interviews in 9 towns), market visits (nd = 1 7 markets in 6 towns), and opportunistic data collection methods in urban, Malagasy towns. Most Coracopsis spp. are purchased (59%) or captured directly by the owner from the wild (22%), although we were unable to determine how A. canus was procured. Survey respondents reported purchasing Coracopsis spp. for the price of USD 5.36 ± 3.20. The average Coracopsis spp. was kept in captivity for 3.1 7 ± 2.51 years. No survey respondents provided information on the purchase price or length of ownership for A. canus. Ownership ended primarily when Coracopsis spp. escaped/flew away (36%) or died of unknown causes (21%). A. canus also flew away, although this was only reported in one instance. In-country demand appears to be met by a trade network of both informal and formal actors. It is unclear whether current protections for Madagascar’s parrots, as far as the domestic market is concerned, are sufficient to ensure sustainable extraction of live individuals

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Primate Research and Conservation

There is evidence to suggest that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may hamper our achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here, we use non-human primates as a case study to examine the impacts of COVID-19 on the ability to achieve biodiversity conservation and management sustainability targets. We collected data through a survey of members of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group from January to March 2022. Of the 93 experts that responded to our survey, we found that 39% had not been able to visit any of their field sites since March 2020, 54% said they had less funding available for their primate-related work, and only one out of ten said they had managed to achieve at least 76–100% of their planned primate-related work since March 2020. Six out of 10 respondents (61%) felt that primate conservation efforts in protected areas were worse than before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and one-third (33%) felt hunting was happening more frequently than before. This study provides evidence of the impacts of COVID-19 on progress towards achieving the SDGs, and provides practical lessons learned for biodiversity conservation efforts moving forward

Averting Lemur Extinctions amid Madagascar\u27s Political Crisis

The most threatened mammal group on Earth, Madagascar’s five endemic lemur families (lemurs are found nowhere else), represent more than 20% of the world’s primate species and 30% of family-level diversity. This combination of diversity and uniqueness is unmatched by any other country—remarkable considering that Madagascar is only 1.3 to 2.9% the size of the Neotropics, Africa, or Asia, the other three landmasses where nonhuman primates occur. But lemurs face extinction risks driven by human disturbance of forest habitats. We discuss these challenges and reasons for hope in light of site-specific, local actions proposed in an emergency conservation action plan

A viral video and pet lemurs on Twitter.

Content shared on social media platforms can impact public perceptions of wildlife. These perceptions, which are in part shaped by context (e.g. non-naturalistic setting, presence of a human), can influence people's desires to interact with or acquire wild animals as pets. However, few studies have examined whether this holds true for wild animals featured in viral videos. This study reports on opportunistic data collected on Twitter before, during, and after a video that featured a habituated ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), called "Sefo", in southern Madagascar went 'viral' (i.e. circulated rapidly on the internet). Our dataset of 13,953 tweets (from an 18.5-week time period in early 2016) referencing lemurs was collected using targeted keywords on the Twitonomy Service. We identified 613 individual tweets about people wanting a lemur as a pet. In addition, 744 tweets that were captured in our dataset linked to the Sefo viral video. We found that as the number of tweets about the viral video increased, so did the number of tweets where an individual wanted to have a lemur as a pet. Most tweets (91%) did not make reference to a specific species of lemur, but when they did, they often (82%) referenced ring-tailed lemurs (L. catta), ruffed lemurs (Varecia spp.), and mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.). This study serves as a case study to consider how viral content can impact how wild animals are perceived. We close by noting that social media sites like Twitter, which are increasingly providing their users with news and information, should carefully consider how information about wild animals is shared on their platforms, as it may impact animal welfare