scholarly journals Rodents as Hosts of Pathogens and Related Zoonotic Disease Risk

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Handi Dahmana ◽  
Laurent Granjon ◽  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
Bernard Davoust ◽  
Florence Fenollar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Invasive Rodents ◽  
Reservoir Hosts ◽  
Rodent Communities ◽  
Host Body Mass ◽  
Trapping Sites

Rodents are known to be reservoir hosts for at least 60 zoonotic diseases and are known to play an important role in their transmission and spread in different ways. We sampled different rodent communities within and around human settlements in Northern Senegal, an area subjected to major environmental transformations associated with global changes. Herein, we conducted an epidemiological study on their bacterial communities. One hundred and seventy-one (171) invasive and native rodents were captured, 50 from outdoor trapping sites and 121 rodents from indoor habitats, consisting of five species. The DNA of thirteen pathogens was successfully screened on the rodents’ spleens. We found: 2.3% of spleens positive to Piroplasmida and amplified one which gave a potentially new species Candidatus “Theileria senegalensis”; 9.35% of Bartonella spp. and amplified 10, giving three genotypes; 3.5% of filariasis species; 18.12% of Anaplasmataceae species and amplified only 5, giving a new potential species Candidatus “Ehrlichia senegalensis”; 2.33% of Hepatozoon spp.; 3.5% of Kinetoplastidae spp.; and 15.2% of Borrelia spp. and amplified 8 belonging all to Borrelia crocidurae. Some of the species of pathogens carried by the rodents of our studied area may be unknown because most of those we have identified are new species. In one bacterial taxon, Anaplasma, a positive correlation between host body mass and infection was found. Overall, male and invasive rodents appeared less infected than female and native ones, respectively.

scholarly journals Rodents as Hosts of Pathogens and Related Zoonotic Disease Risk

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dahmana Handi ◽  
Laurent Granjon ◽  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
Bernard Davoust ◽  
Florence Fenollar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Bacterial Taxon ◽  
Invasive Rodents ◽  
Reservoir Hosts ◽  
Rodent Communities ◽  
Host Body Mass ◽  
Trapping Sites

Rodents are known to be reservoir hosts for at least 60 zoonotic diseases and are known to play an important role in their transmission and spreading in different ways. We sampled different rodent communities within and around human settlements in Northern Senegal, an area subjected to major environmental transformations associated with global changes. Herein, we conducted an epidemiological study on their bacterial communities.One hundred and seventy-one (171) invasive and native rodents were captured, 50 from outdoors trapping sites and 121 rodents from indoors habitats, consisting on 5 species. DNA of thirteen pathogens have been successfully screened on the rodent’s spleens. We found: 2.3% of positive spleens to Piroplasmida and amplified one which gives a potentially new species Candidatus “Theileria senegalensis”; 9.35% of Bartonella spp. and amplified 10, giving three genotypes. 3.5% of filariasis species; 18.12% of Anaplasmataceae species and amplified only 5, giving a new potential species Candidatus “Ehrlichia senegalensis”; 2.33 % of Hepatozoon spp.; 3.5% of Kinetoplastidae spp; and 15.2% of Borrelia spp. and amplified 8 belonging all to Borrelia crocidurae.Some of the species of pathogens carried by the rodents of our studied area may be unknown because most of those we have identified are new species. In one bacterial taxon, Anaplasma, a positive correlation between host body mass and infection was found. Overall, male and invasive rodents appeared less infected than female and native ones, respectively.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Rodent-Borne Zoonotic Diseases and Their Reservoir Hosts: Invasive Rattus in South Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolanda , S. Julius ◽  
Armanda , D. Bastos ◽  
Christian , T. Chimimba ◽  
Helene Brettschneider
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

scholarly journals Impacts of biodiversity and biodiversity loss on zoonotic diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (17) ◽  
pp. e2023540118
Author(s):  
Felicia Keesing ◽  
Richard S. Ostfeld
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Zoonotic Pathogens ◽  
New Synthesis ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Opposing Effects

Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of humans caused by pathogens that are shared between humans and other vertebrate animals. Previously, pristine natural areas with high biodiversity were seen as likely sources of new zoonotic pathogens, suggesting that biodiversity could have negative impacts on human health. At the same time, biodiversity has been recognized as potentially benefiting human health by reducing the transmission of some pathogens that have already established themselves in human populations. These apparently opposing effects of biodiversity in human health may now be reconcilable. Recent research demonstrates that some taxa are much more likely to be zoonotic hosts than others are, and that these animals often proliferate in human-dominated landscapes, increasing the likelihood of spillover. In less-disturbed areas, however, these zoonotic reservoir hosts are less abundant and nonreservoirs predominate. Thus, biodiversity loss appears to increase the risk of human exposure to both new and established zoonotic pathogens. This new synthesis of the effects of biodiversity on zoonotic diseases presents an opportunity to articulate the next generation of research questions that can inform management and policy. Future studies should focus on collecting and analyzing data on the diversity, abundance, and capacity to transmit of the taxa that actually share zoonotic pathogens with us. To predict and prevent future epidemics, researchers should also focus on how these metrics change in response to human impacts on the environment, and how human behaviors can mitigate these effects. Restoration of biodiversity is an important frontier in the management of zoonotic disease risk.

scholarly journals The State of Knowledge on Intestinal Helminths in Free-Roaming Dogs in Southern South America

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritossa Luciano ◽  
Viozzi Gustavo ◽  
Flores Verónica
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
South America ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Southern South America ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

In South America there are more dogs per person than in developed countries. Many owners allow their dogs to roam freely in public areas, which favours the spread of zoonotic diseases. The objective of this work is to describe, through bibliographic analysis, the occurrence, prevalence, species richness, and distribution of intestinal helminth parasites found in dog faeces from urban and rural areas of southern South America (Argentina-Chile-Uruguay). Using three databases, we performed a systematic review of articles published between 2000 and 2020 in indexed journals. A total of 219 articles was evaluated for eligibility, and of these 67 were included in the final analysis; 48 correspond to Argentina, 17 to Chile, and 2 to Uruguay. The total number of parasite taxa recorded was 22, the most frequently occurring species being Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris vulpis and Echinococcus sp. Species richness was correlated with sample size and varied between 1 and 10 species. In addition, disease risk is not homogeneously distributed. Due to the high infection levels in dogs, urban and rural dwellers are at risk of infection with zoonotic diseases transmitted by these animals, therefore a One Health approach to public health would be advisable.

scholarly journals Rats in the city: implications for zoonotic disease risk in an urbanizing world

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Rebecca Blasdell ◽  
Serge Morand ◽  
Susan G W Laurance ◽  
Stephen L Doggett ◽  
Amy Hahs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Risk ◽  
Rattus Rattus ◽  
Zoonotic Disease ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
Rodent Community ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

Urbanization is rapidly transforming much of Southeast Asia, altering the structure and function of the landscape, as well as the frequency and intensity of the interactions between people, animals, and the environment. In this study, we began to explore the impact of urbanization on zoonotic disease risk by simultaneously characterizing changes in the abundance and diversity of reservoir hosts (rodents), ectoparasite vectors (ticks), and microbial pathogens across a gradient of urbanization in Malaysian Borneo. We found that although rodent species diversity decreased with increasing urbanization, two species appeared to thrive in anthropogenic environments: the invasive urban exploiter, Rattus rattus and the native urban adapter, Sundamys muelleri. R. rattus was strongly associated with the presence of built infrastructure across the gradient and dominated the urban rodent community where it was associated with high microbial diversity and multi-host zoonoses capable of environmental transmission, including Leptospira spp., and Toxoplasma gondii. In contrast, S. muelleri was restricted to sites with a significant vegetative component where it was found at high densities in the urban location. This species was strongly associated with the presence of ticks, including the medically important genera Ambylomma, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes. Overall, our results demonstrate that the response to urbanization varies by species at all levels: host, ectoparasite, and microbe. This may lead to increased zoonotic disease risk in a subset of environments across urban and urbanizing landscapes that can be reduced through improved pest management and public health messaging.

scholarly journals Ecological and sanitary impacts of bacterial communities associated to biological invasions in African commensal rodent communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Diagne ◽  
Maxime Galan ◽  
Lucie Tamisier ◽  
Jonathan d’Ambrosio ◽  
Ambroise Dalecky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Invasions ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Rodent Communities

The role of non-declining amphibian species as alternative hosts for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in an amphibian community

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle P. Stockwell ◽  
Deborah S. Bower ◽  
John Clulow ◽  
Michael J. Mahony
Keyword(s):  
Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Alternate Host ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Alternate Hosts ◽  
Habitat Creation ◽  
Litoria Aurea ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

Context Pathogens with reservoir hosts have been responsible for most disease-induced wildlife extinctions because the decline of susceptible hosts does not cause the decline of the pathogen. The existence of reservoirs for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis limits population recovery and conservation actions for threatened amphibians. As such, the effect of reservoirs on disease risk within host community assemblages needs to be considered, but rarely is. Aims In this study we aimed to determine if amphibian species co-occurring with the green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea, a declining species susceptible to B. dendrobatidis, act as alternate hosts. Methods We quantified B. dendrobatidis infection levels, sub-lethal effects on body condition and terminal signs of disease in amphibian communities on Kooragang Island and Sydney Olympic Park in New South Wales, Australia, where two of the largest remaining L. aurea populations persist. Key results We found L. aurea carried infections at a similar prevalence (6–38%) to alternate species. Infection loads ranged widely (0.01–11 107.3 zoospore equivalents) and L. aurea differed from only one alternate host species (higher median load in Litoria fallax) at one site. There were no terminal or sub-lethal signs of disease in any species co-occurring with L. aurea. Conclusion Our results suggest that co-occurring species are acting as alternate hosts to L. aurea and whether their presence dilutes or amplifies B. dendrobatidis in the community is a priority for future research. Implications For L. aurea and many other susceptible species, confirming the existence of reservoir hosts and understanding their role in community disease dynamics will be important for optimising the outcomes of threat mitigation and habitat creation initiatives for their long-term conservation.

scholarly journals Introduced marine species in Croatian waters (Eastern Adriatic Sea)

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. PECAREVIC ◽  
J. MIKUS ◽  
A. BRATOS CETINIC ◽  
J. DULCIC ◽  
M. CALIC
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Species ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Conservation Of Biodiversity

The Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea covers more than 35% of the total Croatian territory, which means that monitoring changes in marine ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity are of great importance. Following global changes, Croatia is experiencing increasing problems due to the introduction of new species that include aliens (due to aquaculture activities and shipping) and species from other Mediterranean subregions that are extending their geographic range. This work provides a checklist of introduced species in Croatian waters. A total of 113 species (15 phytoplankton, 16 zooplankton, 16 macroalgae, 44 zoobenthic and 22 fish species) have been recorded in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea, of which 61 species are alien and 52 introduced, due to climate change.

scholarly journals Identification and molecular characterization of novel viruses in Ugandan cattle

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Balinandi ◽  
Juliette Hayer ◽  
Harindranath Cholleti ◽  
Julius Lutwama ◽  
Michelle Wille ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Zoonotic Diseases ◽  
Virus Family ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Molecular Approaches ◽  
Reservoir Hosts ◽  
First Time ◽  
Family Rhabdoviridae

The risk for the emergence of novel viral zoonotic diseases in animals and humans in Uganda is high given its geographical location with high biodiversity. We aimed to identify and characterize viruses in 175 blood samples from cattle selected in Uganda using molecular approaches. We identified 8 viral species belonging to 4 families (Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Reoviridae and Rhabdoviridae) and 6 genera (Hepacivirus, Pestivirus, Orthobunyavirus, Coltivirus, Dinovernavirus and Ephemerovirus). Four viruses were novel and tetantively named as Zikole virus (Family: Flaviviridae), Zeboroti virus (Family: Reoviridae), Zebtine virus (Family: Rhabdoviridae) and Kokolu virus (Family: Rhabdoviridae). In addition, Bovine hepacivirus, Obodhiang virus, Aedes pseudoscutellaris reovirus and Schmallenberg virus were identified for the first time in Ugandan cattle. We report a broad range of viruses including novel ones in the blood of cattle likely as reservoir hosts for emergence of novel viruses with serious public health implications.

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.

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