scholarly journals In the heart of the city: Trypanosoma cruzi infection prevalence in rodents across New Orleans

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno M. Ghersi ◽  
Anna C. Peterson ◽  
Nathaniel L. Gibson ◽  
Asha Dash ◽  
Ardem Elmayan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Baton Rouge ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
French Quarter ◽  
The City ◽  
Norway Rats ◽  
Trapping Sites

Abstract Background Trypanosoma cruzi - the causative agent of Chagas disease - is known to circulate in commensal pests, but its occurrence in urban environments is not well understood. We addressed this deficit by determining the distribution and prevalence of T. cruzi infection in urban populations of commensal and wild rodents across New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). We assessed whether T. cruzi prevalence varies according to host species identity and species co-occurrences, and whether T. cruzi prevalence varies across mosaics of abandonment that shape urban rodent demography and assemblage structure in the city. Methods Leveraging city-wide population and assemblage surveys, we tested 1428 rodents comprising 5 species (cotton rats, house mice, Norway rats, rice rats and roof rats) captured at 98 trapping sites in 11 study areas across New Orleans including nine residential neighborhoods and a natural area in Orleans Parish and a neighborhood in St. Bernard Parish. We also assayed Norway rats at one site in Baton Rouge (Louisiana, USA). We used chi-square tests to determine whether infection prevalence differed among host species, among study areas, and among trapping sites according to the number of host species present. We used generalized linear mixed models to identify predictors of T. cruzi infection for all rodents and each host species, respectively. Results We detected T. cruzi in all host species in all study areas in New Orleans, but not in Baton Rouge. Though overall infection prevalence was 11%, it varied by study area and trapping site. There was no difference in prevalence by species, but roof rats exhibited the broadest geographical distribution of infection across the city. Infected rodents were trapped in densely populated neighborhoods like the French Quarter. Infection prevalence seasonally varied with abandonment, increasing with greater abandonment during the summer and declining with greater abandonment during the winter. Conclusions Our findings illustrate that T. cruzi can be widespread in urban landscapes, suggesting that transmission and disease risk is greater than is currently recognized. Our findings also suggest that there is disproportionate risk of transmission in historically underserved communities, which could reinforce long-standing socioecological disparities in New Orleans and elsewhere.

scholarly journals Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hamish Moseley ◽  
Kovashnee Naidoo ◽  
Armanda Bastos ◽  
Liezl Retief ◽  
John Frean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Invasion History ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The City

Abstract Background Rattus spp. are frequently implicated as key reservoir hosts for leptospirosis, one of the most common, but neglected, bacterial zoonoses in the world. Although leptospirosis is predicted to be a significant public health threat in Africa, studies from the continent are limited. Methods Rattus spp. (n=171) were sampled (January-May 2016) across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest inland metropole. Rattus spp. genetic diversity was evaluated by full length (1140 bp) cyt b sequencing of 42 samples. For comparison, a further 12 R. norvegicus samples collected in Cape Town, South Africa’s largest coastal metropole, were also genotyped. Leptospira infections were identified and genotyped using real-time PCR and multi-locus (lfb1, secY, lipL41) DNA sequencing. Results Five R. norvegicus haplotypes were identified across Johannesburg, four of which have not previously been detected in South Africa, and one in Cape Town. Across Johannesburg we identified a Leptospira spp. infection prevalence of 44% (75/171) and noted significant differences in the prevalence between administrative regions within the metropole. Multi-locus sequence analyses identified a clonal genotype consistent with L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica (serovar Ceylonica).Discussion The prevalence of infection identified in this study is amongst the highest detected in Rattus spp. in similar contexts across Africa. Despite the complex invasion history suggested by the heterogeneity in R. norvegicus haplotypes identified in Johannesburg, a single L. borgpetersenii genotype was identified in all infected rodents. The lack of L. interrogans in a rodent community dominated by R. norvegicus is notable given the widely recognised host-pathogen association between these species and evidence for L. interrogans infection in R. norvegicus in Cape Town. It is likely that environmental conditions (cold, dry winters) in Johannesburg may limit the transmission of L. interrogans. Spatial heterogeneity in prevalence suggest that local factors, such as land use, influence disease risk in the metropole. Conclusion In South Africa, as in other African countries, leptospirosis is likely underdiagnosed. The high prevalence of infection in urban rodents in Johannesburg suggest that further work is urgently needed to understand the potential public health risk posed by this neglected zoonotic pathogen.

scholarly journals Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hamish Moseley ◽  
Kovashnee Naidoo ◽  
Armanda Bastos ◽  
Liezl Retief ◽  
John Frean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Invasion History ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The City

Abstract BackgroundRattus spp. are frequently implicated as key reservoir hosts for leptospirosis, one of the most common, but neglected, bacterial zoonoses in the world. Although leptospirosis is predicted to be a significant public health threat in Africa, studies from the continent are limited. Methods Rattus spp. (n=171) were sampled (January-May 2016) across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest inland metropole. Rattus spp. genetic diversity was evaluated by full length (1140 bp) cyt b sequencing of 42 samples. For comparison, a further 12 R. norvegicus samples collected in Cape Town, South Africa’s largest coastal metropole, were also genotyped. Leptospira infections were identified and genotyped using real-time PCR and multi-locus (lfb1, secY, lipL41) DNA sequencing. Results Five R. norvegicus haplotypes were identified across Johannesburg, four of which have not previously been detected in South Africa, and one in Cape Town. Across Johannesburg we identified a Leptospira spp. infection prevalence of 44% (75/171) and noted significant differences in the prevalence between administrative regions within the metropole. Multi-locus sequence analyses identified a clonal genotype consistent with L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica (serovar Ceylonica).DiscussionThe prevalence of infection identified in this study is amongst the highest detected in Rattus spp. in similar contexts across Africa. Despite the complex invasion history suggested by the heterogeneity in R. norvegicus haplotypes identified in Johannesburg, a single L. borgpetersenii genotype was identified in all infected rodents. The lack of L. interrogans in a rodent community dominated by R. norvegicus is notable, given the widely recognised host-pathogen association between these species and evidence for L. interrogans infection in R. norvegicus in Cape Town. It is likely that environmental conditions (cold, dry winters) in Johannesburg may limit the transmission of L. interrogans. Spatial heterogeneity in prevalence suggest that local factors, such as land use, influence disease risk in the metropole. ConclusionIn South Africa, as in other African countries, leptospirosis is likely underdiagnosed. The high prevalence of infection in urban rodents in Johannesburg suggest that further work is urgently needed to understand the potential public health risk posed by this neglected zoonotic pathogen.

scholarly journals Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Moseley ◽  
Kovashnee Naidoo ◽  
Armanda Bastos ◽  
Liezl Retief ◽  
John Frean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Invasion History ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The City

Abstract Background Rattus spp. are frequently implicated as key reservoir hosts for leptospirosis, one of the most common, but neglected, bacterial zoonoses in the world. Although leptospirosis is predicted to be a significant public health threat in Africa, studies from the continent are limited. Methods Rattus spp. (n = 171) were sampled (January–May 2016) across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest inland metropole. Rattus spp. genetic diversity was evaluated by full length (1140 bp) cyt b sequencing of 42 samples. For comparison, a further 12 Rattus norvegicus samples collected in Cape Town, South Africa’s largest coastal metropole, were also genotyped. Leptospira infections were identified and genotyped using real-time PCR and multi-locus (lfb1, secY and lipL41) DNA sequencing. Results Five R. norvegicus haplotypes were identified across Johannesburg, four of which have not previously been detected in South Africa, and one in Cape Town. Across Johannesburg we identified a Leptospira spp. infection prevalence of 44% (75/171) and noted significant differences in the prevalence between administrative regions within the metropole. Multi-locus sequence analyses identified a clonal genotype consistent with L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica (serovar Ceylonica). Discussion The prevalence of infection identified in this study is amongst the highest detected in Rattus spp. in similar contexts across Africa. Despite the complex invasion history suggested by the heterogeneity in R. norvegicus haplotypes identified in Johannesburg, a single L. borgpetersenii genotype was identified in all infected rodents. The lack of L. interrogans in a rodent community dominated by R. norvegicus is notable, given the widely recognised host-pathogen association between these species and evidence for L. interrogans infection in R. norvegicus in Cape Town. It is likely that environmental conditions (cold, dry winters) in Johannesburg may limit the transmission of L. interrogans. Spatial heterogeneity in prevalence suggest that local factors, such as land use, influence disease risk in the metropole. Conclusions In South Africa, as in other African countries, leptospirosis is likely underdiagnosed. The high prevalence of infection in urban rodents in Johannesburg suggest that further work is urgently needed to understand the potential public health risk posed by this neglected zoonotic pathogen.

scholarly journals Multi-locus sequence analyses reveal a clonal L. borgpetersenii genotype in a heterogeneous invasive Rattus spp. community across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Hamish Moseley ◽  
Kovashnee Naidoo ◽  
Armanda Bastos ◽  
Liezl Retief ◽  
John Frean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Invasion History ◽  
Sequence Analyses ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
The City

Abstract Background: Rattus spp. are frequently implicated as key reservoir hosts for leptospirosis, one of the most common, but neglected, bacterial zoonoses in the world. Although leptospirosis is predicted to be a significant public health threat in Africa, studies from the continent are limited. Methods: Rattus spp. (n = 171) were sampled (January-May 2016) across the City of Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest inland metropole. Rattus spp. genetic diversity was evaluated by full length (1140 bp) cyt b sequencing of 42 samples. For comparison, a further 12 Rattus norvegicus samples collected in Cape Town, South Africa’s largest coastal metropole, were also genotyped. Leptospira infections were identified and genotyped using real-time PCR and multi-locus (lfb1, secY and lipL41) DNA sequencing. Results: Five R. norvegicus haplotypes were identified across Johannesburg, four of which have not previously been detected in South Africa, and one in Cape Town. Across Johannesburg we identified a Leptospira spp. infection prevalence of 44% (75/171) and noted significant differences in the prevalence between administrative regions within the metropole. Multi-locus sequence analyses identified a clonal genotype consistent with L. borgpetersenii serogroup Javanica (serovar Ceylonica).Discussion: The prevalence of infection identified in this study is amongst the highest detected in Rattus spp. in similar contexts across Africa. Despite the complex invasion history suggested by the heterogeneity in R. norvegicus haplotypes identified in Johannesburg, a single L. borgpetersenii genotype was identified in all infected rodents. The lack of L. interrogans in a rodent community dominated by R. norvegicus is notable, given the widely recognised host-pathogen association between these species and evidence for L. interrogans infection in R. norvegicus in Cape Town. It is likely that environmental conditions (cold, dry winters) in Johannesburg may limit the transmission of L. interrogans. Spatial heterogeneity in prevalence suggest that local factors, such as land use, influence disease risk in the metropole. Conclusions: In South Africa, as in other African countries, leptospirosis is likely underdiagnosed. The high prevalence of infection in urban rodents in Johannesburg suggest that further work is urgently needed to understand the potential public health risk posed by this neglected zoonotic pathogen.

scholarly journals Trypanosoma cruzi reservoir—triatomine vector co-occurrence networks reveal meta-community effects by synanthropic mammals on geographic dispersal

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos N. Ibarra-Cerdeña ◽  
Leopoldo Valiente-Banuet ◽  
Víctor Sánchez-Cordero ◽  
Christopher R. Stephens ◽  
Janine M. Ramsey
Keyword(s):  
Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
The Impact

Contemporary patterns of land use and global climate change are modifying regional pools of parasite host species. The impact of host community changes on human disease risk, however, is difficult to assess due to a lack of information about zoonotic parasite host assemblages. We have used a recently developed method to infer parasite-host interactions for Chagas Disease (CD) from vector-host co-occurrence networks. Vector-host networks were constructed to analyze topological characteristics of the network and ecological traits of species’ nodes, which could provide information regarding parasite regional dispersal in Mexico. Twenty-eight triatomine species (vectors) and 396 mammal species (potential hosts) were included using a data-mining approach to develop models to infer most-likely interactions. The final network contained 1,576 links which were analyzed to calculate centrality, connectivity, and modularity. The model predicted links of independently registeredTrypanosoma cruzihosts, which correlated with the degree of parasite-vector co-occurrence. Wiring patterns differed according to node location, while edge density was greater in Neotropical as compared to Nearctic regions. Vectors with greatest public health importance (i.e., Triatoma dimidiata,T. barberi,T. pallidipennis,T. longipennis, etc), did not have stronger links with particular host species, although they had a greater frequency of significant links. In contrast, hosts classified as important based on network properties were synanthropic mammals. The latter were the most common parasite hosts and are likely bridge species between these communities, thereby integrating meta-community scenarios beneficial for long-range parasite dispersal. This was particularly true for rodents, >50% of species are synanthropic and more than 20% have been identified asT. cruzihosts. In addition to predicting potential host species using the co-occurrence networks, they reveal regions with greater expected parasite mobility. The Neotropical region, which includes the Mexican south and southeast, and the Transvolcanic belt, had greatest potential activeT. cruzidispersal, as well as greatest edge density. This information could be directly applied for stratification of transmission risk and to design and analyze human-infected vector contact intervention efficacy.

scholarly journals Rodent Virus Diversity and Differentiation across Post-Katrina New Orleans

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 8034
Author(s):  
Anna C. Peterson ◽  
Himanshu Sharma ◽  
Arvind Kumar ◽  
Bruno M. Ghersi ◽  
Scott J. Emrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
New Orleans ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Prognostic Indicators ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Virus Diversity

Concern about elevated disease risk following disasters has been growing with the progression of global trends in urbanization and climate, in part because shifts in socioecological conditions can promote greater human contact with pathogen reservoirs in cities. Remarkably little is known, however, about the diversity and distributions of pathogens carried by commensal reservoirs across disaster-affected urban landscapes. To address this deficit, we characterized the assemblage structure of viruses in the serum of three widespread commensal rodents (Rattus norvegicus, Rattus rattus, and Mus musculus) that were trapped in New Orleans (LA, USA) following Hurricane Katrina. We assessed virus diversity and differentiation according to host species identity, co-occurrence and abundance, as well as prevailing landscape features known to shape urban rodent assemblages. We detected ≥34 viruses in total, including several pathogens of concern, through metagenomic analysis of serum taken from ≥149 individuals of each host species. We found that virus richness as well as assemblage composition and spatial differentiation differed by host species. Notably, we detected associations with host species co-occurrence and abundance, and while we found that assemblage structure varied by study area, we did not detect strong associations with landscape features known to influence rodent hosts. Evidence that virus diversity and assemblage structure reflect host identity more so than other factors indicates that biotic benchmarks might serve as prognostic indicators of post-disaster pathogen exposure risk in cities worldwide.

Sister Gertrude Morgan

2018 ◽  
pp. 235-256
Author(s):  
Jason Berry
Keyword(s):  
New Orleans ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Melting Pot ◽  
Civic Leaders ◽  
French Quarter ◽  
Gay Community ◽  
Gay Bars ◽  
The City ◽  
Art Dealer ◽  
Diverse Cultures

By the 1930s, civic leaders were promoting New Orleans as a tourist destination while the city lurched toward bankruptcy. As the city continued to develop through the 20th century, it became a melting pot of diverse cultures and a mecca for bohemians and LGBTQ people. Gay bars prospered in the French Quarter, and jazz clubs hired integrated bands. Sister Gertrude Morgan was a self-appointed missionary and preacher, Bride of Christ, artist, musician, poet, and writer of profound religious faith. After a revelation in 1934, she decided to travel to New Orleans to evangelize. In the late 1950s, she began singing on French Quarter corners, playing the guitar and tambourine, and selling her paintings. Her work caught the attention of art dealer Larry Borenstein, who helped launch her career as an artist. Borenstein came from a family of Russian Jews in Milwaukee. He worked in a wide variety of jobs in his youth, eventually settling in New Orleans and expanding into real estate and art dealership. He made friends with members of the gay community, artists, and musicians, and helped found the Preservation Hall jazz club.

Biodiversity series: The function of biodiversity in the ecology of vector-borne zoonotic diseases

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 2061-2078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard S Ostfeld ◽  
Felicia Keesing
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Dilution Effect ◽  
Tick Population ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
The Impact

This is a critical evaluation of the influence of species diversity within communities of vertebrates on the risk of human exposure to vector-borne zoonoses. Vertebrates serve as natural reservoirs of many disease agents (viral, bacterial, protozoal) that are transmitted to humans by blood-feeding arthropod vectors. We describe the natural history of the Lyme disease zoonosis to illustrate interactions among pathogens, vectors, vertebrate hosts, and risk to humans. We then describe how the presence of a diverse assemblage of vertebrates can dilute the impact of the principal reservoir (the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus) of Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi), thereby reducing the disease risk to humans. Exploring the logic of what we call the dilution effect reveals four conditions that are necessary for it to apply generally to vector-borne zoonoses: (1) the feeding habits of the vector are generalized; (2) the pathogen is acquired by the vector from hosts (as opposed to exclusively transovarial transmission); (3) reservoir competence (the ability of a particular host species to infect a vector) varies among host species; and (4) the most competent reservoir host tends to be a community dominant, as defined by the proportion of the tick population fed by that species. When these conditions are met, vertebrate communities with high species diversity will contain a greater proportion of incompetent reservoir hosts that deflect vector meals away from the most competent reservoirs, thereby reducing infection prevalence and disease risk. Incorporating the likelihood that the abundance of competent reservoirs is reduced in more diverse communities, owing to the presence of predators and competitors, reinforces the impact of the dilution effect on the density of infected vectors. A review of the literature reveals the generality, though not the universality, of these conditions, which suggests that the effects of diversity on disease risk may be widespread. Issues in need of further exploration include (i) the relative importance of diversity per se versus fluctuating numbers of particular species; (ii) the relevance of species richness versus evenness to the dilution effect; (iii) whether the dilution effect operates at both local and regional scales; and (iv) the shape of empirically determined curves relating diversity to measures of disease risk. Further studies linking community ecology with epidemiology are warranted.

Dreaming New Orleans

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-39
Author(s):  
Joseph Roach
Keyword(s):  
New Orleans ◽  
Streetcar Named Desire ◽  
A Streetcar Named Desire ◽  
The City

Having passed the tercentenary of the “Mississippi Bubble” of 1720, the financial fiasco that accompanied the founding of New Orleans, the city continues to risk everything by gambling on the collateral of its dreams. Like Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, “The City that Care Forgot” is playing out a mortgage melodrama under constant threat of dispossession, dreading the last stop on an itinerary that begins with Desire, changes at Cemeteries, and dead ends in Elysian Fields.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document