Title
Optimizing a noninvasive oral sampling technique for semicaptive neotropical primates in Peru
Date Issued
01 January 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Publisher(s)
Wildlife Disease Association, Inc.
Abstract
Disease surveillance in Neotropical primates (NP) is limited by the difficulties associated with anesthetizing NP for sample collection in remote settings. Our objective was to optimize a noninvasive method of oral sampling from semicaptive NP in Peru. We offered 40 NP at Taricaya Rescue Centre in Madre de Dios, Peru ropes coated in various attractants and measured variables (acceptance of the rope, chewing time, and volume of fluid eluted from ropes) that may affect sample acquisition and quality. We preserved samples by direct freezing in liquid nitrogen or by storing samples in RNA stabilization reagent at room temperature. Sample integrity was measured by testing for mammalian cytochrome b with the use of conventional PCR. The NP successfully chewed on a rope in 82% (125/152) of trials. Overall sample integrity was high, with 96% (44/46) of samples (both directly frozen and stored in stabilization reagent) testing positive for cytochrome b. The number of times that an individual NP was exposed to the rope procedure and NP age were associated with higher acceptance rates and the NP successfully chewing on the rope. We conclude that ropes serve as a feasible noninvasive method of obtaining oral samples from NP at rescue centers and could be used in future studies to evaluate population genetics and for pathogen surveillance for population health monitoring.
Start page
192
End page
196
Volume
56
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ingeniería ambiental Ciencias de la salud
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85077761106
PubMed ID
Source
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
ISSN of the container
0090-3558
Sponsor(s)
This research was partially supported by a National Institutes of Health Short Term Training grant (OD010963) and by the West-moreland Fund for Primate Conservation. We thank Virginia Micaela de la Puente, Carla Perinango, and the many individuals at Taricaya Rescue Centre and Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales for all of their valuable contributions to the identification of individual animals, coordination of field work, and assistance with laboratory work. Authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus