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Students assess human disease risk to mountain gorillas
The research focused on mountain gorillas living in and around the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Study suggests current hygiene systems are effective

Students from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have carried out research to see if critically endangered mountain gorillas have contracted human diseases.

The research focused on mountain gorillas, cattle, goats and humans living in and around the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), Uganda.
 
In 1993, gorillas in this region were habituated to humans to promote wildlife tourism and behavioural research. In turn, this led to gorillas venturing outside protected regions to forage.

The students identified an array of zoonotic pathogens, including low levels of Cryptosporidium parvum in gorilla and goats, and Giardia duodenal in humans and cattle.

While they did detect zoonotic pathogens, the students found no evidence for inter-species parasite transmission cycles. Their research also suggests that stringent hygiene policies, employed by those who interact with the gorillas, are currently effective.

“Expanding this work to assess the flow of bacterial and viral pathogens will be valuable, and help enhance welfare practices as well as hygiene policies employed by those who interact with animals in a professional capacity,” explained Professor Damer Blake, a parasite geneticist at the RVC.

“After fatal scabies outbreaks in mountain gorillas were traced to people living around BINP, we started to proactively prevent and control cross species disease transmission by improving the health of local communities and conducting such studies with RVC students,” added Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka.

“We are pleased that this collaboration is enabling us to generate important information to protect this critically endangered species.”

The study, Molecular characterisation of protist parasites in human-habituated mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), humans and livestock, from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, is published in Parasites & Vectors.  

Image (C) Rod Waddington

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.