Fecal microbiota dysbiosis in macaques and humans within a shared environment

Traditional zoonotic disease research focuses on detection of high profile pathogens, and may miss opportunities to understand broader microbial transmission dynamics between humans, animals, and the environment. The Global Assessment of Zoonotic and Environmental Risks (GAZER) platform seeks to address this knowledge gap by examining health in settings with high animal-human interactions. We present data from Kosum Phisai District, Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand, where a growing population of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Kosumpee Forest Park interface with residents of an adjacent village. Workers in or near the park were surveyed to characterize tasks resulting in exposure to macaque fecal microbes in addition to dietary and lifestyle factors that influence gut microbiome composition. Fecal samples were collected from humans (exposed, n=12; control, n=6) and macaques (exposed, n=8; control, n=4) using the OMNIgene.GUT kit and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq. SourceTracker was used to estimate the percent of taxa in human samples that were contributed by macaques and suggested no evidence of significant microbial sharing among the sampled populations. Beta diversity dispersion patterns were analyzed using a permuted betadisper function on the weighted UniFrac distance metrics and revealed the potential role of the Anna Karenina principle (AKP) among exposed macaques (p=0.03). Perturbations in gut microbiota of macaques in contact with humans highlight the potential for changes in health status. Human samples had homogenous variance in beta diversity but different spatial medians between groups (p=0.02), implying a shift in microbial composition that may be explained by fundamental lifestyle differences between the groups unrelated to exposure status. Task observations among workers revealed opportunities to employ protective measures or training to reduce exposure to occupational hazards. This information can also be used to mitigate negative aspects of contact between humans and macaques in order to optimize the health of both populations.