ONE HEALTH SURVEILLANCE • MALAYSIA
Surveillance of Parasitic Helminths with Zoonotic Potential in Environments of Human–Primate Interaction: Risk and Exposure
Integrating molecular surveillance, macaque ecology and environmental evidence to investigate overlooked parasite risks at human–primate interfaces.
HUMAN × ANIMAL × ENVIRONMENT
ONE HEALTH INTERSECTION EXPLORER
Select a domain to explore risks, threats and Project SPHERE evidence streams.
01 • HUMAN HEALTH
Daily connections with forests, soil, water and wildlife can shape exposure. Project SPHERE approaches communities as research partners and interprets molecular findings alongside lived context.
TARGET MACAQUE SPECIES
Macaques belong to the genus Macaca and share characteristics including cheek pouches. Their ecology and conservation pressures shape how molecular detections should be interpreted.
SPECIES PROFILE
Macaca nemestrina
CONSERVATION AND AWARENESS
International Macaque Week highlights macaque conservation, welfare and the challenges these primates face in the wild and in human environments.
DISEASE AND EXPOSURE
Project SPHERE focuses on soil-transmitted helminths with zoonotic potential at human-primate shared landscapes.
WHO: Soil-transmitted helminth infections ↗Eggs or larvae reach soil and may persist under suitable conditions.
Contact with contaminated soil, surfaces or faecal material.
Infection may be asymptomatic or clinically nonspecific.
Low or intermittent output can limit conventional examination.
ON-PAGE PARASITE PROFILE
The principal human agent is S. stercoralis. The non-human-primate-associated zoonotic form is S. fuelleborni subsp. fuelleborni; humans are currently the only known host of S. fuelleborni subsp. kellyi.
Infective larvae in contaminated soil can penetrate skin. S. stercoralis can persist through autoinfection.
Infection may be asymptomatic or produce gastrointestinal, respiratory and skin manifestations. Severe S. stercoralis disease can occur during immunosuppression.
Low and intermittent larval output can reduce the sensitivity of a single stool examination. Species-level molecular evidence is important for interpretation.
Shared detection is contextual evidence. It does not alone demonstrate transmission between humans, macaques and environments.
RESEARCH ARCHITECTURE
Archived human stool, non-invasive macaque faeces, paired soil and contextual metadata.
Singleplex optimisation followed by multiplex qPCR, quality controls and sequence confirmation where appropriate.
Host, ecological and anthropogenic variables assessed without assuming transmission.
PROJECT WORKFLOW
MALAYSIA × GERMANY
Connecting molecular medicine, primate behavioural ecology, biodiversity research and conservation across institutions.
DAAD Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP) Scholar 2026
With academic and conservation collaborators contributing complementary molecular, ecological and local expertise.
LIVING RESPONSIBLY WITH MACAQUES
Explore decisions that influence macaque welfare, human safety, conservation and parasite exposure. Learn more about coexisting safely with macaques ↗
CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE
Maintain distance. Do not touch, chase, restrain or use macaques as photograph props.
Never feed macaques. Keep food out of sight and support macaque-resistant waste systems.
Do not buy primates or support attractions involving handling and forced close contact.
Avoid faeces and visibly contaminated soil, use footwear and wash hands after outdoor activities.