Leishmaniasis in tuscany (Italy): VII. Studies on the role of the black rat, Rattus rattus, in the epidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis

1983 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gradoni ◽  
E. Pozio ◽  
M. Gramiccia ◽  
M. Maroli ◽  
S. Bettini
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Black Rat

scholarly journals Illegal Waste Sites As A Potential Micro Foci Of Mediterranean Leishmaniasis: First Records Of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) From Slovenia

2015 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivović Vladimir ◽  
Kalan Katja ◽  
Zupan Sara ◽  
Bužan Elena
Keyword(s):  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Molecular Probe ◽  
Disease Vectors ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Kinetoplast Dna ◽  
Phlebotomine Sand Flies ◽  
Black Rat ◽  
Illegal Waste ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

AbstractApart from being against the law, illegal waste dumping also poses a threat to human health and to the environment. Solid and decomposing waste is an ideal breeding ground for a number of rodents, insects, and other vermin that pose a health risk through the spread of infectious diseases. The main objective of this study was to survey disease vectors and rodents for the presence ofLeishmaniasp. from waste sites along the Istrian Peninsula in Slovenia and Croatia.During the survey five sandfly (Phlebotomus neglectus, P. perniciosus,P. papatasi, P. mascitii, Sergentomyia minuta) and five rodent species were collected (Rattus rattus,Mus musculus,Apodemus agrarius,A. flavicollisandA. sylvaticus).Sandflies and rodents were screened using a molecular probe to amplify an approximately 120 bp fragment of the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircle for the detection ofLeishmaniasp. parasites.Leishmania infantumDNA was detected in the spleen of one juvenile black rat (R. rattus). Despite few published records onLeshmaniasp. infection in black rats, the addition of our record highlights the importance of further investigation into the frequency and distribution of such occurrences so that we may better classify the role of rodents as potential reservoirs of leishmaniasis in the Mediterranean basin.

Predator or disperser? A test of indigenous fruit preference of alien rats (Rattus rattus) on Nishi-jima (Ogasawara Islands)

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuto Abe
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Seed Disperser ◽  
Terminalia Catappa ◽  
Black Rat ◽  
Ogasawara Islands ◽  
Indigenous Fruit ◽  
Indigenous Tree Species ◽  
Fruit Preference

The Black Rat Rattus rattus has invaded many of the Ogasawara Islands, including Nishi-jima. To evaluate the effects of this alien rat on fruits in Nishi-jima, I set out 1 772 fruits of five indigenous tree species and tracked them for two months by locating attached long-labelled lines. The rats consumed more than 95% of the small Neolitsea sericea var. aurata and Livistona boninensis fruits. For larger fruits, rats consumed 48.3% of Pandanus boninensis, 11.2% of Terminalia catappa, and 64.4% of Ochrosia nakaiana. Larger fruits were carried further than small fruits, however, the ratio of survival to frugivory decreased with increasing distance carried in all species. The role of Rattus rattus as seed disperser is limited, and its fruglvory impact is more serious for trees producing small fruits.

MODULATION OF TRIGLYCERIDES IN FEMALE RATTUS RATTUS WITH STEROID CONTRACEPTIVE ALGESTONE ACETOPHENIDE (DHPA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
ASHOK KUMAR ◽  
ALPANA PARMAR ◽  
ANAND KUMAR BAJPEYEE
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Type ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Black Rat ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Steroid Contraceptive

Young female Black rat (Rattus rattus), were administered monthly long acting steroid contraceptive to induce hypertriglyceridemia. It was observed that by 3 weeks of the second injection of estrogen containing mixed type of contraceptive, female rats developed consistent and frank hyperglyceridemia . TG in the treated rats was 195.8 ± 7.44 mg /100 ml as compared to 91.5 ± 6.27 mg/100ml in plasma of the control group.

scholarly journals Sexual and vertical transmission of visceral leishmaniasis

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (04) ◽  
pp. 403-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia P Turchetti ◽  
Tayse D Souza ◽  
Tatiane A Paixão ◽  
Renato L. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Leishmania Infantum ◽  
Vertebrate Host ◽  
Domestic Dog ◽  
Sand Flies ◽  
Phlebotomine Sand Flies

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important zoonosis caused by Leishmania infantum, which has in the domestic dog its principal vertebrate host. VL is usually transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, however atypical routes of transmission have been described. In this review we discuss the the role of sexual and vertical transmissions, and their role in the maintenance of VL in canine populations.

scholarly journals How effective is dog culling in controlling zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis? a critical evaluation of the science, politics and ethics behind this public health policy

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Henrique Nery Costa
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Control Measure ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Kala Azar ◽  
Scientific Results

INTRODUCTION: Zoonotic kala-azar, a lethal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania is considered out of control in parts of the world, particularly in Brazil, where transmission has spread to cities throughout most of the territory and mortality presents an increasing trend. Although a highly debatable measure, the Brazilian government regularly culls seropositive dogs to control the disease. Since control is failing, critical analysis concerning the actions focused on the canine reservoir was conducted. METHODS: In a review of the literature, a historical perspective focusing mainly on comparisons between the successful Chinese and Soviet strategies and the Brazilian approach is presented. In addition, analyses of the principal studies regarding the role of dogs as risk factors to humans and of the main intervention studies regarding the efficacy of the dog killing strategy were undertaken. Brazilian political reaction to a recently published systematic review that concluded that the dog culling program lacked efficiency and its effect on public policy were also reviewed. RESULTS: No firm evidence of the risk conferred by the presence of dogs to humans was verified; on the contrary, a lack of scientific support for the policy of killing dogs was confirmed. A bias for distorting scientific data towards maintaining the policy of culling animals was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Since there is no evidence that dog culling diminishes visceral leishmaniasis transmission, it should be abandoned as a control measure. Ethical considerations have been raised regarding distorting scientific results and the killing of animals despite minimal or absent scientific evidence

scholarly journals Incidence of visceral leishmaniasis in the Vaishali district of Bihar, India: spatial patterns and role of inland water bodies

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gouri Sankar Bhunia ◽  
Shreekant Kesari ◽  
Nandini Chatterjee ◽  
Dilip Kumar Pal ◽  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Inland Water ◽  
Inland Water Bodies

Late-Holocene asynchronous extinction of endemic mammals on the eastern Canary Islands

The Holocene ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 801-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Rando ◽  
Josep Antoni Alcover ◽  
Jacques Michaux ◽  
Rainer Hutterer ◽  
Juan Francisco Navarro
Keyword(s):  
Canary Islands ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Middle Age ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Black Rat ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Ams Dating

The Lava mouse ( Malpaisomys insularis), and the Canarian shrew ( Crocidura canariensis) are endemic of the Eastern Canary Islands and islets. The former is extinct while Canarian shrew survives in the two main islands and two islets. In order to provide insights regarding causes and processes contributing to the extinction of these endemic mammals: (i) we established last occurrence dates for Lava mouse, and first records for two exotic species – House mouse ( Mus musculus) and Black rat ( Rattus rattus) – through direct 14C AMS dating of collagen from bones; (ii) we analysed recent material from Barn owl ( Tyto alba gracilirostris) roosting sites to evaluate its impact on Canarian shrew in the presence of introduced rodents. The new data strongly suggest that the extinction of Lava mouse was the result of an accumulative process of independent disappearances (or ‘local extinctions’) affecting the isolated populations. The timing of the introduction of the Black rat on the main islands (before Middle Age European contact in Lanzarote and after Middle Age European contact in Fuerteventura) matches with the last occurrence dates for the presence of Lava mouse on these islands, and are very probably their cause. The losses of these Lava mouse populations occurred in an asynchronous way, spreading across at least six centuries. On small islands, hyperpredation emerges as the most plausible process to explain the disappearance of the Lava mouse in the absence of rat populations, although stochastic processes can not be definitively excluded.

Introduced predators and cavity-nesting seabirds: unexpected low level of interaction at breeding sites

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (9) ◽  
pp. 1068-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Ruffino ◽  
K. Bourgeois ◽  
E. Vidal ◽  
J. Icard ◽  
F. Torre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Breeding Cycle ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Black Rat ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Puffinus Yelkouan ◽  
First Time

The mechanisms by which introduced predators and long-lived seabirds interact and even coexist are still poorly known. Here, the interactions between the widely introduced black rat ( Rattus rattus (L., 1758)) and an endemic Mediterranean cavity-nesting seabird, the yelkouan shearwater ( Puffinus yelkouan (Acerbi, 1827)), were for the first time investigated for a set of 60 suitable breeding cavities throughout the entire breeding cycle of this seabird. Our results pointed out that rat visits to cavities were significantly higher when shearwaters had left the colony for their interbreeding exodus. Among the set of suitable breeding cavities, yelkouan shearwaters preferentially selected the deepest and the most winding cavities for breeding. Very few rat visits were recorded at the shearwater-occupied cavities and no predation event was recorded. These intriguing results reveal a low level of interaction between introduced black rats and yelkouan shearwaters, which may have facilitated their long-term coexistence for thousands of years on some Mediterranean islands.

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