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Chimpanzee Human Disease
It is amazing and exciting to see
how closely related we are to chimpanzees; however, many chimpanzees
face the threat of human disease due to this striking similarity. A
chimpanzee can catch most of our human diseases because their bodies
are very similar to ours. A disease that is not a big problem to
you or to other humans, such as the common cold, can be devastating
for a chimpanzee. Can you remember a time that you had a cough or
perhaps the sniffles from a cold? You probably did not feel the
best for a few days but your body could fight off the cold since the
illness is common and your body is prepared and knows how to fight
off the sniffles.
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Many human diseases have never
before been experienced by chimps and are often introduced to an
area where chimps live. Many people who go to visit and observe the
chimps in the forest may be carrying germs that their bodies can
fight off but that could make chimps sick and we may transmit our
human germs to chimps. The chimpanzees’ immune systems have not
built up a defense against the unfamiliar germs, and the chimps’
bodies are less able to fight off the diseases. Whereas your body
can quickly fight off the cough and sniffles of the common cold;
some common human diseases can be life threatening for chimpanzees. |
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Chimpanzees pick up germs just like
we humans do: usually from the air or from touching infected
objects, and some simple steps can be easily taken to reduce the
transmission of human diseases to chimps. If you go into the
forests to see the chimps there will be rules about what is allowed
and what is not allowed, in order to protect the chimpanzees. It is
important to follow these rules to prevent spreading diseases.
People who feel sick, even if they just have a cold, should not go
into the forest until they are better. When in the forest, everyone
should maintain a distance of 10 feet from the chimps possible, and
all precautions should be taken to avoid touching the chimps.
People need to be very careful not to drop anything in the forest.
Garbage and other human objects can spread germs to chimps who may
come across these objects and pick them up later. Eating or
drinking in the presence of the chimps is not allowed for a similar
reason. Also, remember if mother nature calls when you are in the
forests, all human waste should also be buried at least one foot
underground.
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Many
locations where humans including visitors, researchers,
park rangers, and anyone else who may go within a
relatively close distance of chimps require surgical
masks to be worn when in the presence of the chimps. It
has been discovered that disease transmission from
humans to chimps is reduced using this method. Other
places, though, do not require masks to be worn because
those who manage the area think that the masks are
unnecessary and do not reduce the ability for human
germs to be transmitted to chimps in the forest. In
both situations, regardless of the view on the
effectiveness and use of surgical masks, visitors are
told to maintain the 10 ft distance from the chimps, to
reduce the likelihood that any germs breathed out by
humans will reach the chimps. |
These are all easy things that when
practiced greatly reduce the incidence of disease transmission to
chimpanzees. By thinking about and paying attention to our actions
when we are near chimps, humans can prevent the spread of many germs
that cause health problems for the chimpanzees.
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Message from CAC'ers
When we were in Tanzania we learned all of
the rules above at Gombe Stream Natinal Park and Mahale
National Park. Many of the days that we observed chimpanzees
in the forests we had to wear the masks in hopes to reduce
the spread of any unfamiliar human disease to the chimps.
We also met with a veterinarian while in Gombe who taught us
the importance of understanding the need to reduce the
spread of human disease to our cousins the chimpanzees who
may not be able to fight off common diseases as well as we
can. |
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