Some of our Projects
Gillespie Lab
Emory University
| Kibale Ecohealth Project | |
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In 2004, Thomas Gillespie, Tony Goldberg (U. of Wisconsin), and Innocent Rwego (Makerere University) founded the Kibale EcoHealth Project. The overall goal of this project is to determine how and why anthropogenic changes to tropical forests place people and non-human primates living in such ecosystems at increased risk of pathogen exchange. The central hypothesis of this work is that key human behaviors, primate behaviors, ecological conditions, and landscape features increase the risks of interspecific disease transmission. We focus our efforts on nine communities near Kibale National Park in western Uganda. These communities vary in the nature and degree to which they use associated forest fragments, allowing us to examine how specific alterations to primate habitats affect the dynamics of primate-human interaction and the risks of zoonotic disease transmission. This effort entails a combination of epidemiology, molecular ecology, behavioral ecology, social and clinical survey, and spatially explicit modeling. The ultimate product will be an implementable plan for protecting human and non-human primate health, while simultaneously ensuring the sustainability of the ecosystems within which they live. Click here to learn more |
| Ecology and Epidemiology of Emerging Pox Viruses in Africa | |
| Concomitant with cessation of the global smallpox vaccination campaign, and waning protective immunity in those previously vaccinated, the geographic distribution and frequency of human disease associated with pox viruses is increasing. Moreover, the relative risk that emerging pox viruses present for wildlife populations remains largely unknown. Our work integrates wildlife disease surveillance and public health survey to better understand the ecology and natural distribution of pox viruses and identify risk factors for zoonotic transmission of pox viruses. This work involves extensive collaboration with the CDC Pox Group. |  |
| Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Vector Composition and Arbovirus Distribution and Diversity | |
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Vectors and vector-borne disease represent a growing global threat with medical, veterinary, conservation, and economic implications. In the last two decades, the geographic distribution of many vectors and associated pathogens has expanded, accompanied by more frequent and intense epidemics in wildlife, livestock, and people. The reasons for this dramatic resurgence of vector-borne diseases are complex and not well understood. However, increasing human populations in optimal vector habitat and anthropogenic disruption of the environment are both likely contributing to this pattern. In light of this, we are investigating the effects of habitat disturbance and natural habitat variability on vector composition and patterns of arbovirus infection along disturbance gradients in Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Uganda. In addition to better understanding the role of human induced habitat changes on the distribution of viruses and their vectors, this work provides the opportunity for early detection of novel pathogens that may pose a threat to global health and / or wildlife conservation. This is a collaborative effort with Fabian Leendertz (Robert Koch Institute), Alejandro Estrada (UNAM), Innocent Rwego (Makerere University), and Sandra Junglen(Robert Koch Institute) is the primary post-doc for this project. |
| Primate Behavioral Responses to Parasitism | |
| Competition and predation have long been considered the primary factors shaping the behavioral ecology and evolution of primates. However, recent studies of diverse taxa imply that parasite-host dynamics may provide important insights into complex aspects of behavior such as sociality, habitat use, group formation,and mate choice. Our work has examined the behavioral patterns of red colobus monkeys at Kibale National Park, Uganda, in relation to concurrent infection status at the individual, group, and population levels. This research has uncovered interesting relationships among infection prevalence, infection risk, ranging behavior, multi-species associations, and intra-group interactions (i.e., inter-individual spacing, grooming behavior). These results suggest that parasitic diseases are a selective force that must be considered if we are to improve our understanding of the proximate mechanisms underlying primate behavior. One interesting aspect of this work has been an investigation of the role of self-medication as a behavioral response to infection. This research integrates behavioral, in-vitro, and clinical aspects. |  |
| Effects of Logging on Infection Dynamics in African Apes | |
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There is growing recognition of the importance of land-use change and human-wildlife linkages in disease emergence and ecosystem health. We have conducted a series of investigations demonstrating that certain disturbance-related features of degraded forests are excellent predictors of infection rates in primates and of the prevalence of parasites shared between primates and humans in and around Kibale National Park in Uganda. In this five-year study, we compared patterns of gastrointestinal parasite infection and infection risk among meta populations of multiple monkey species inhabiting undisturbed forest, selectively logged forest, and a series of forest fragments. Our results demonstrated that forest fragmentation and selective logging increased prevalence and infection risk and that certain forest fragment attributes were strongly associated with infection patterns. These results suggest that on a local scale, infection dynamics of gastrointestinal pathogens are significantly affected by the degree and nature of anthropogenic disturbance to forests. Do these same relationships hold when we scale up to the regional level? We are examining the generality of this relationship through a comparison of patterns of parasite infection and infection risk in free-ranging western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the Goualougo Triangle of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and the adjacent Kabo Logging Concession in the Republic of Congo. |
| Dynamics of Parasitism in the Chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania | |
| Gombe National Park has enjoyed an unparalleled 40+ years of continuous behavioral and ecological study of wild chimpanzees, making it an ideal natural laboratory for the study of ecosystem health and the human-animal interface with respect to emerging infectious diseases. We are examining the dynamics of parasitism in Gombe chimpanzees in the context of behavior and, environmental and spatial risk factors to mitigate health risks to Gombe chimpanzees and create a model for other ape conservation areas. This effort is part of the Gombe Ecosystem Health Project led by Lincoln Park Zoo on behalf of the Jane Goodall Institute and Tanzania National Parks. |  |