在佛羅里達(dá)州，受皰疹感染的猴子數(shù)量正在增加，而且并沒(méi)有阻止它們的計(jì)劃

在佛羅里達(dá)州，受皰疹感染的猴子數(shù)量正在增加，而且并沒(méi)有阻止它們的計(jì)劃

A group of invasive herpes-carrying monkeys is expanding its range in central Florida and officials have yet to put a management plan in place to mitigate and control their spread.

一群攜帶皰疹病毒的侵入性猴子正在佛羅里達(dá)州中部擴(kuò)大活動(dòng)范圍，官員們還沒(méi)有制定管理計(jì)劃來(lái)減緩和控制它們的擴(kuò)散。

Rhesus macaques have been making headlines in the sunshine state ever since their inaugural appearance at Silver Springs State Park (SSSP) in the 1930s. At the time, a boat operator released 18 individuals on an island to bolster local tourism, not knowing they could swim to surrounding areas, according to the University of Florida. But now, the charismatic primates appear to be spreading beyond their initial grounds without a plan in place to mitigate their impact. Just a few weeks ago, a monkey “showed up” in Jacksonville, Florida. Others have been spotted along the northeast coast of Florida

自從上世紀(jì)30年代，恒河猴首次出現(xiàn)在銀泉州立公園(SSSP)以來(lái)，它們就一直是這個(gè)陽(yáng)光之州的頭條新聞。據(jù)佛羅里達(dá)大學(xué)(University of Florida)稱，當(dāng)時(shí)，一名船主為了促進(jìn)當(dāng)?shù)芈糜螛I(yè)，在一個(gè)島上釋放了18人，卻不知道他們可以游到周邊地區(qū)。但現(xiàn)在，這種有魅力的靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物似乎正在它們最初的領(lǐng)地之外蔓延，卻沒(méi)有一個(gè)適當(dāng)?shù)挠?jì)劃來(lái)減輕它們的影響。就在幾周前，一只猴子“出現(xiàn)”在佛羅里達(dá)州的杰克遜維爾。在佛羅里達(dá)的東北海岸也發(fā)現(xiàn)了一些

“My guess is that a monkey that has left one of the established groups has set off on its own, and that sort of thing may be more and more common, creating more and more potential for human interaction,” Dr Steve A. Johnson, associate professor at the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida, told IFLScience in an interview.

“我的猜測(cè)是，一只離開了某個(gè)已建立的群體的猴子開始了自己的活動(dòng)，這類事情可能會(huì)越來(lái)越普遍，為人類互動(dòng)創(chuàng)造越來(lái)越多的潛力，”佛羅里達(dá)大學(xué)野生動(dòng)物生態(tài)與保護(hù)系副教授Steve A. Johnson博士在接受IFLScience采訪時(shí)表示。

Macaca mulatta are highly adaptable and can thrive in a number of environments, often wreaking havoc when introduced to new habitats. Thousands of macaques released on Morgan Island, South Carolina, for biomedical research elevated the risk of E. coli and the introduction of the monkeys in the Florida Keys destroyed red mangroves, leading to shoreline erosion. In central Florida today, macaques are known to eat eggs from native bird nests, as well as eat around 50 native plant species, and frequent coastal environments during the weekend when recreational boaters show up to illegally feed them.

獼猴適應(yīng)能力強(qiáng)，能在多種環(huán)境中茁壯成長(zhǎng)，當(dāng)它們被引入新的棲息地時(shí)，往往會(huì)造成嚴(yán)重破壞。數(shù)千只獼猴被放生在南卡羅來(lái)納州的摩根島，用于生物醫(yī)學(xué)研究，這增加了大腸桿菌的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，而在佛羅里達(dá)群島引入的獼猴破壞了紅樹林，導(dǎo)致了海岸線的侵蝕。如今，在佛羅里達(dá)州中部，獼猴以本地鳥巢里的蛋為食，還以大約50種本地植物為食。周末，當(dāng)游船上的游船客非法給它們喂食時(shí)，它們經(jīng)常出沒(méi)于沿海地區(qū)。

The macaques also carry herpes B virus.

獼猴也攜帶B型皰疹病毒。

“We know that [the monkeys] carry herpes B virus and we know that herpes B virus is lethal in people, so that sets up the possibility that if the population increases and they interact with people more, someone may be hurt,” said Johnson, adding that there is a low risk and likelihood that such interaction would occur, but such incidents would carry with them a high consequence. Herpes B in humans can degrade one's quality of life, present neurological issues, and prove fatal.

“我們知道猴子攜帶了B型皰疹病毒，我們也知道B型皰疹病毒對(duì)人類是致命的，所以這就造成了一種可能性，如果種群數(shù)量增加，它們與人類的接觸增多，就可能有人受傷。”約翰遜說(shuō)，這樣的互動(dòng)發(fā)生的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)和可能性很低，但這樣的事件會(huì)帶來(lái)很高的后果。B型皰疹會(huì)降低人的生活質(zhì)量，出現(xiàn)神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)問(wèn)題，甚至致命。

Figure 6. Rhesus macaque in an aggressive stance to a woman attempting to feed it. Jane Anderson/University of Florida

It is unknown whether herpes B can spread to people in the wild. Despite 18 reports of macaque bites or scratches in Florida, there has not been a single monkey-to-person transmission in the state. However, there are some 50 cases of human herpes B virus infections from macaques in laboratory settings, almost exclusively from bites and scratches from infected animals – half of these cases were fatal. Any risk of exposure to the potentially fatal pathogen should prompt management plans to limit the transmission of the virus, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

目前還不清楚B型皰疹是否會(huì)在野外傳播給人類。盡管佛羅里達(dá)州有18起獼猴咬傷或抓傷的報(bào)告，但該州還沒(méi)有一例猴傳人病例。然而，在實(shí)驗(yàn)室環(huán)境中，大約有50例人類B型皰疹病毒感染來(lái)自獼猴，幾乎全部來(lái)自受感染動(dòng)物的咬傷和抓傷——這些病例中有一半是致命的。美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心建議說(shuō)，任何接觸這種可能致命的病原體的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)都應(yīng)該促使管理部門制定計(jì)劃，限制病毒的傳播。

But Johnson says that there is currently no management plan in place. Between 1998 and 2012, a private trapper sponsored by the government caught more than 800 monkeys in the SSSP area to be sold to research facilities, but public outcry soon halted the operation. Today, the population continues to increase with between 200 and 300 individuals in the 1,860-hectare park (4,600 acres), and without a plan in place, researchers estimate that the population will double from its 2015 population by 2022.

但是約翰遜說(shuō)，目前還沒(méi)有適當(dāng)?shù)墓芾碛?jì)劃。從1998年到2012年，一個(gè)由政府贊助的私人獵人在SSSP地區(qū)捕捉了800多只猴子，準(zhǔn)備賣給研究機(jī)構(gòu)，但公眾的強(qiáng)烈抗議很快就停止了這項(xiàng)行動(dòng)。如今，這個(gè)占地1860公頃(4600英畝)的公園的人口還在繼續(xù)增長(zhǎng)，大約有200到300人。如果沒(méi)有一個(gè)適當(dāng)?shù)挠?jì)劃，研究人員估計(jì)，到2022年，公園的人口將比2015年翻一番。

“It’s a challenge and I’m hoping that through all of this attention the general public realizes that while [the monkeys] are cute and it’s not their fault that they are there, they are there and they are carrying a disease that is potentially fatal to people,” said Johnson. “They are not native and they shouldn’t be here.”

“這是一個(gè)挑戰(zhàn)，我希望通過(guò)所有這些關(guān)注，讓公眾意識(shí)到雖然猴子很可愛(ài)，它們?cè)谀抢锊皇撬鼈兊腻e(cuò)，它們?cè)谀抢?，攜帶著一種對(duì)人類可能致命的疾病，”約翰遜說(shuō)。“它們不是本地的，不應(yīng)該在這里。”

Florida has the most non-native wildlife species introduction of any state, and the management and mitigation of those species cost more than $500 million annually. Macaques aren’t the only primates in the state either; Florida is also home to established populations of squirrel and vervet monkeys, as well as Burmese pythons and other invasive reptiles, as well as feral cats and pigs.

佛羅里達(dá)州是引進(jìn)外來(lái)野生物種最多的州，而管理和減少這些物種的成本每年超過(guò)5億美元。獼猴也不是該州唯一的靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物;佛羅里達(dá)也是松鼠和長(zhǎng)尾猴、緬甸巨蟒和其他侵入性爬行動(dòng)物、野貓和豬的聚居地。

A juvenile rhesus macaque consuming vegetation in Silver Springs State Park. Jane Anderson/University of Florida