Disease risk and inter-institutional transfer of specimens in cooperative breeding programs: Herpes and the elephant species survival plans
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.1009.abs Managers of cooperative breeding programs and re-introduction projects are increasingly concerned with the risk of disease transmission when specimens are transferred among facilities or between facilities and the natural environment. We used data maintained in North American studbooks to estimate the potential risks of disease transmission by direct and indirect contact of specimens […]
Socialization strategies and disease transmission in captive colonies of nonhuman primates
In captive research environments for nonhuman primates (NHP), social housing strategies are often in conflict with protocols designed to minimize disease transmission. This is particularly true in breeding colonies, and is especially relevant when attempting to eliminate specific pathogens from a population of primates. Numerous strategies have been used to establish such specific pathogen free […]
The role of behavioural heterogeneity on infection patterns: implications for pathogen transmission
Animals infected with pathogens often differ in behaviour from their uninfected counterparts, and these differences may be key to understanding zoonotic pathogen transmission. To explore behavioural heterogeneity and its role in pathogen transmission, we studied deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, under field conditions. Deer mice are the natural host of Sin Nombre virus (SNV), a zoonotic […]