title: Human quarantine: Toward reducing infectious pressure on chimpanzees at the Taï Chimpanzee Project, Côte d'Ivoire.
abstract: Due to their genetic relatedness, great apes are highly susceptible to common human respiratory pathogens. Although most respiratory pathogens, such as human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV), rarely cause severe disease in healthy human adults, they are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality in wild great apes habituated to humans for research or tourism. To prevent pathogen transmission, most great ape projects have established a set of hygiene measures ranging from keeping a specific distance, to the use of surgical masks and establishment of quarantines. This study investigates the incidence of respiratory symptoms and human respiratory viruses in humans at a human-great ape interface, the Taï Chimpanzee Project (TCP) in Côte d'Ivoire, and consequently, the effectiveness of a 5-day quarantine designed to reduce the risk of potential exposure to human respiratory pathogens. To assess the impact of quarantine as a preventative measure, we monitored the quarantine process and tested 262 throat swabs for respiratory viruses, collected during quarantine over a period of 1 year. Although only 1 subject tested positive for a respiratory virus (HRSV), 17 subjects developed symptoms of infection while in quarantine and were subsequently kept from approaching the chimpanzees, preventing potential exposure in 18 cases. Our results suggest that quarantine-in combination with monitoring for symptoms-is effective in reducing the risk of potential pathogen exposure. This research contributes to our understanding of how endangered great apes can be protected from human-borne infectious disease.
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.|Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grützmacher
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.affiliation: Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leinert
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.|University Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Floraine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leguillon
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.|University Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henlin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire National d'appui au Développement Agricole/Laboratoire Central de Pathologie Animale, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Couacy-Hymann
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köndgen
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deschner
authors.affiliation: Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.|Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
authors.forename: Roman M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Wittig
authors.affiliation: Project Group Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Fabian H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Leendertz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D011790:Quarantine / Q000379:methods*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000821:virology*
keywords: great apes; habituation; prevention; quarantine; respiratory disease