The secret life of the city rat: a review of the ecology of urban Norway and black rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus)

Invasive species are the primary driver of island taxa extinctions and, among them, those belonging to the genus Rattus are considered as the most damaging. The presence of black rat (Rattus rattus) on Cyprus has long been established, while that of brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is dubious. This study is the first to provide molecular and morphological data to document the occurrence of R. norvegicus in the island of Cyprus. A total of 223 black rats and 14 brown rats were collected. Each sample was first taxonomically attributed on the basis of body measurements and cranial observations. Four of the specimens identified as R. norvegicus and one identified as R. rattus were subjected to molecular characterization in order to corroborate species identification. The analyses of the mitochondrial control region were consistent with morphological data, supporting the taxonomic identification of the samples. At least two maternal molecular lineages for R. norvegicus were found in Cyprus. The small number of brown rats collected in the island, as well as the large number of samples of black rats retrieved in the past years might be an indication that the distribution of R. norvegicus is still limited into three out of the six districts of Cyprus.

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Helminth parasites in black rats (Rattus rattus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from different environments in the Netherlands

Infection Ecology & Epidemiology ◽

10.3402/iee.v6.31413 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 31413 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Frits Franssen ◽

Arno Swart ◽

Frans van Knapen ◽

Joke van der Giessen

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Helminth Parasites ◽

Black Rats

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Ecological aspects of the epidemiology of infection with leptospires of the Ballum serogroup in the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in New Zealand

Journal of Hygiene ◽

10.1017/s0022172400069679 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 87 (3) ◽

pp. 427-436 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

S. C. Hathaway ◽

D. K. Blackmore

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Suitable Host ◽

Indirect Transmission ◽

Black Rat ◽

Brown Rat ◽

High Level ◽

Black Rats

SummaryEpidemiological aspects of infection with leptospires of the Ballum serogroup in black rats (Rattus rattus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are described. Rats inhabiting a variety of habitats were investigated and isolates identified as belonging to the Ballum serogroup were obtained from 21 of 61 black rats (34%) and 63 of 243 brown rats (26%). The high level of endemic Ballum serogroup infection in these species reported here has not been described in other countries.A statistical relationship was shown between the prevalence of infection in brown rat populations and population density but this was not evident for black rats. Epidemiological data indicates that the black rat is a maintenance host for leptospires of the Ballum serogroup in New Zealand. The brown rat does not appear to be an efficient maintenance host for these leptospires, however endemic infection can be maintained in high-density populations inhabiting synanthropic foci.An hypothesis of ‘competitive exclusion’ (preferential maintenance of a particular serovar by a host species) is introduced with regard to leptospiral infection in brown rats. It is concluded that the establishment and maintenance of an endemic focus of leptospirosis is dependant on: introduction of a particular serovar; a suitable host; and a suitable host habitat. Within a maintenance population direct transmission appears to be more important than indirect transmission via the environment.

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Glodavci u skladištima poljoprivrednih proizvoda – štetnost i suzbijanje

Glasnik zaštite bilja ◽

10.31727/gzb.44.6.5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (6) ◽

pp. 42-48

Author(s):

Dinka Grubišić ◽

Ivan Juran ◽

Mirjana Brmež ◽

Maja Šurlog ◽

Viktorija Sever ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mus Musculus ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Rattus Rattus

Glodavci su važni štetnici uskladištenih poljoprivrednih proizvoda. Uz zadovoljenje osnovnih prehrambenih potreba, štetne vrste u skladištima nalaze povoljne uvjete za razvoj i razmnožavanje te zaštitu od prirodnih neprijatelja. Najštetnije vrste glodavaca u skladištima Republike Hrvatske jesu štakori vrsta Rattus norvegicus i Rattus rattus te domaći miš Mus musculus. Osim što se hrane uskladištenim proizvodima, rasipaju ih, onečišćuju urinom, izmetom, dlakom i slinom, navedene vrste rezervoari su zoonozama koje utječu na zdravlje ljudi, te domaćih i divljih životinja. U Republici Hrvatskoj u populacijama sitnih glodavaca dokazani su uzročnici Lajmske borelioza, trihineloze, leptospiroze, Q groznice i hemoragijske vrućice s bubrežnim sindromom. Utvrđene su i višestruke infekcije glodavaca uzročnicima zoonoza. Redovito praćenje brojnosti glodavaca važno je u svrhu pravovremenog suzbijanja te smanjenja materijalnih gubitaka, ali i u svrhu sprječavanja pojave epidemija zoonoza. Uz preventivne mjere koje podrazumijevaju održavanje higijene prostora te održavanje infrastrukture, čime sprječavamo privlačenje i nastanjivanje glodavaca u skladištima, provodi se i kontinuirana deratizacija koja uključuje primjenu mehaničkih, fizikalnih i kemijskih mjera zaštite.

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Small mammals of the Kaluga region – reservoirs of dangerous zoonotic diseases

10.31016/978-5-9902341-5-4.2020.21.291-294 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 291-294

Author(s):

Nikanorova ◽

Kozlov

Keyword(s):

Small Mammals ◽

Mus Musculus ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Zoonotic Diseases ◽

Myodes Glareolus ◽

Field Mouse ◽

Vector Borne ◽

Kaluga Region ◽

The City ◽

Small Forest

The article considers the issues of carriage by small mammals of dangerous zoonotic diseases: leptospirosis, tularemia, hantaviruses. Data on the detection of antigens to pathogens in the districts of the Kaluga region are presented. As you know, small mammals are the main link in maintaining zoonotic natural focal diseases. The larval phases of ixodic ticks, mosquitoes and other parasitic arthropods prefer to feed on the blood of mouse rodents, which contributes to the spread of vector-borne infections and infestations. The following species of mouse rodents are found in the Kaluga Region: small forest mouse (Apodemus uralensis), gray vole, red vole (Myodes glareolus), field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), gray rat (Rattus norvegicus), and house mouse (Mus musculus). In natural biotopes, field species prevail in number: field mouse, gray vole, red vole. In the Kaluga region, antigens for tularemia, hantaviruses, and leptospirosis were found in small mammals in 4.9–9.4% of the studied animals on average per year. Of particular concern are the city of Kaluga, Borovsky, Babyninsky, Yukhnovsky, Ulyanovsk, Medynsky, Maloyaroslavetsky, Meshchovsky, Peremyshlsky, Kozelsky, Dzerzhinsky and Ulyanovsk districts. The data obtained indicate the stationarity of these diseases in the territory of the Kaluga region.

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Molecular identification of the Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) lewisi clade in black rats (Rattus rattus) from Australia

10.1101/819060 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Siobhon L. Egan ◽

Casey L. Taylor ◽

Jill M. Austen ◽

Peter B. Banks ◽

Liisa A. Ahlstrom ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Phylogenetic Analysis ◽

Molecular Identification ◽

Ribosomal Rna ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Molecular Evidence ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Trypanosoma Lewisi ◽

Sydney Australia ◽

Black Rats

AbstractInvasive rodent species are known hosts for a diverse range of infectious microorganisms and have long been associated with the spread of disease globally. The present study describes molecular evidence for the presence of a Trypanosoma sp. from black rats (Rattus rattus) in northern Sydney, Australia. Sequences of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) locus were obtained in two out of eleven (18%) blood samples with subsequent phylogenetic analysis confirming the identity within the Trypanosoma lewisi clade.

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