People, Primates and Parasites: using ethnography in mapping reciprocal influences

SAMBUCCI, Kelly Marie and Paride BOLLETTIN. People, Primates and Parasites: using ethnography in mapping reciprocal influences. In Human-Animal Relations Symposium, Aarhus University. 2023.

Basic information

• Original name: People, Primates and Parasites: using ethnography in mapping reciprocal influences
• Authors: SAMBUCCI, Kelly Marie and Paride BOLLETTIN.
• Edition: Human-Animal Relations Symposium, Aarhus University, 2023.

Other information

• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Tags: Reviewed

Abstract

Mountain gorillas have been suffering with an increase in cases of so-called chronic wasting syndrome in recent years. Researchers are approaching the environment from complementary perspectives to investigate the parasitic diseases of primates in Bwindi and try to uncover the possible causative pathogen of this chronic wasting. Of particular importance is the relationship with humans who live close to and enter the park where they live. In this presentation we will describe parasites as the link between people and other-than-human primates and participants in human evolution, highlighting their agencies in both phenomena. We will mobilize an ethnographic approach to understand the connections between lifestyle, health conditions, parasites, humans, and other primates. For that we interface with primatology, for looking at human evolution, and molecular biology, for discussing the effects of parasites in humans and other primates. At a molecular level looking at the very building blocks of life, elucidating the species that humans and other-than-humans share and providing evidence of this transmission. From molecular biology to sociocultural anthropology, we are de-centring the human, with the aim to understand human-animal relationships from a third-party organism, the parasites, and how they shape the collective. The goal of this paper is to discuss the usefulness of ethnographic studies to provide recommendations for both conservation management and public health education in Bwindi, Uganda.