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Since our founding in 1948, Morris Animal Foundation has funded hundreds of health research studies to protect, treat and cure the world's companion animals and wildlife.
Our studies have led to major advances in veterinary care, including vaccines and other preventions, diagnostic tools and new therapies for the diseases and health conditions that threaten the lives of the animals we love. Search our completed study database by species and/or disease to learn more about how our work has given animals longer, healthier lives.
Category
D07ZO-610: Wildlife-Human Interactions and Zoonotic Disease in Kabarole District, Uganda: The Case of Monkeypox
principal investigator: Michelle Madonia, Veterinary Student Scholar, University of Illinois
completed
Results
Monkeypox Transmission Explored
The student and her team assessed wildlife–human interactions and monkeypox-like symptoms of residents in six villages surrounding Kibale National Park in Uganda. They discovered that 6.8 percent of the subjects had clinical signs similar to those of monkeypox; however, further consultation with their collaborators at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led them to conclude that monkeypox was not present in the study subjects. Interestingly, an extremely small percentage of the subjects surveyed had had close contact with a rope squirrel or a sun squirrel–potential disease transmitters. Furthermore, only 6.5 percent of the study population reported hunting for food, which is associated with monkeypox transmission in central Africa. These data suggest that the manner in which these individuals are interacting with wildlife does not facilitate monkeypox transmission. The study provides valuable insight into how human activity may affect animals in and around Kibale National Park. These data were presented at the Merck-Merial-NIH Symposium at Michigan State University and at the University of Illinois Center for Zoonoses Research Poster Session.
