Coughs and colds spread quickly within wild mountain gorilla groups but appear less likely to spread between neighboring groups, a new study published in Scientific Reports shows.
Coughs and colds spread quickly within wild mountain gorilla groups but appear less likely to spread between neighboring groups, a new study published in Scientific Reports shows.
Disease, in particular respiratory infection, is one of the biggest threats to ape conservation. Because humans and apes are so closely related, our ape cousins can catch many of the same diseases as us. However, respiratory infections that are relatively mild in humans can have major consequences in apes like gorillas and chimpanzees, where a case of the common cold or flu can be lethal.
Scientists from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund studied 15 respiratory outbreaks across the last 17 years to understand how diseases transmitted through a population of mountain gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. These findings will help shape future conservation strategies.
“If we can better understand how diseases have spread in the past, we can better prepare for and respond to outbreaks in the future,” said Dr. Robin Morrison, lead author on the study.
Read more at Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International
Image: A group of gorillas monitored by the Fossey Fund gathers for an afternoon rest in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park. (Credit: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund)
