Evaluation of location tracking methods to understand human-wildlife contact and pathogen spillover risks

Background Most emerging infectious diseases originate in wildlife populations. As demonstrated by recent epidemics and pandemics, pathogen spillover from zoonotic reservoirs can have devastating public health impacts. Contact between humans and wildlife reservoirs determines spillover risk, but these interactions remain poorly understood. Despite advancements in geolocation technology and its widespread integration into devices available to consumers and researchers, there are significant challenges to collecting fine-scale human movement data in remote areas to assess contact with wildlife. We aimed to evaluate available methods for collecting these data. We applied the findings to identify an optimal method for a case study on pathogen spillover from bats in rural communities of Macenta Prefecture, Republic of Guinea. Methods Among existing methods for collecting location data from humans, we identified two methods as candidates for our case study: (1) a mobile device with the GPSLogger application and (2) a custom-designed wristwatch with geolocation technology. The spatial accuracy, battery life, and user experience of these methods were assessed under field conditions. This preliminary testing was conducted in remote, forested regions of Macenta, Guinea and Malaysian Borneo, which are areas with repeated zoonotic spillover events. Results Overall, both methods enabled collection of fine-scale spatial data on human movement and proximity to wildlife habitats in remote, forested regions. From initial trials, the custom-designed wristwatch had greater accuracy, had longer battery life, and was reported by participants to be more comfortable to carry than the mobile devices. We demonstrated the utility of these methods for quantifying individual heterogeneities in space use and identifying areas and populations with high risk for human-wildlife contact. Conclusion This proof-of-concept study provides evidence of the value of custom-designed location tracking watches, through their application in epidemiologic research in rural Guinea. However, mobile devices may be more accessible and suitable in contexts with high mobile phone usage and service coverage. Further research is needed to integrate these movement data with ecological and demographic data to understand how environment and human behaviour shape the dynamics of disease emergence.