Infectious diseases of interest for the conservation of peccaries in the Amazon: A systematic quantitative review

Abstract

Infectious diseases are increasingly emerging and spreading globally, ending up being considered a threat to biodiversity. In the Amazon region, repeated disappearance episodes of local populations of white-lipped peccaries have been reported during the last decades. These population crashes remain poorly understood, but current knowledge suggests a potential role of infectious diseases. We conducted a systematic quantitative literature review on infectious diseases affecting suiform species in the Amazon region, analyzing the current knowledge on the topic, and identifying health threats for peccaries. We found that information on the health status of free-ranging peccaries in the Amazon region is scarce, geographically uneven, and mostly cross-sectional. We recommend working with local communities and using alternative participatory sampling methodologies to address the logistical problem of working in this wilderness setting. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of developing studies with broader geographical coverage and multidisciplinary approaches, especially in areas where episodes of disappearance of white-lipped peccaries have already been observed.