Enzootic Hepatic Capillariasis (Calodium hepaticum) in Street Rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Marseille City, France

Hepatic capillariasis is a rare and neglected zoonosis affecting wild and synanthropic small rodents. It is caused by infection with Calodium hepaticum in liver. Despite the worldwide distribution of the host Rattus norvegicus (brown or street rats) in the urban area, the epidemiological status of this parasitosis remains unknown. In the present study, we examined a total of 27 brown rats from the city centre and a garden (four km from the city centre) of Marseille, France. All rats were autopsied and 52% showed the presence of C. hepaticum eggs in the liver. This result draws general attention to public health risks, since street rats are living near the human population.

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The prevalence of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rodent hosts in China and several Asian countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.1101/2020.07.23.217281 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Huifang Bai ◽

Huiyuan Bai ◽

Fei Bai ◽

Yizhen Cao ◽

Yunqiu Chen

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Human Population ◽

Parasitic Nematode ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Human Infection ◽

Eosinophilic Meningitis ◽

Asian Countries ◽

Worldwide Distribution ◽

Paratenic Hosts

AbstractIntroductionAngiostrogylus cantonensis (A.cantonensis) is a zoonotic parasitic nematode, with a worldwide distribution, causing eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in human. Human infection with A.cantonensis typically occur from intentional or unintentional ingestion of infected intermediate or paratenic hosts, sometimes due to contaminated produce. Although the biology of A.cantonensis is relatively well known, little is understood about the transmission level in different zoogeographical regions, especially in Asia. Here, to evaluate the prevalence of A.cantonensis in rodent hosts in China and several Asian countries, we conducted a systematic review registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020161665).MethodsRecords were selected systematically from 7 database (Medline via to Pubmed, Web of science, Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, Wangfang, CBM). Forest plots and random-effects model were used to display pooled estimates. The Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation of R software was used to conduct meta-analysis and statistical significance was set at 0.05.ResultsA total of 67 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence estimates of A.cantonensis infection in rodents was 0.1003 (95%CI: 0.0765, 0.1268). There was significant heterogeneity in reported outcomes (p<0.0001). And we considered that there was no publication bias in the included studies.ConclusionThe A.cantonensis infection rate among rodent hosts were still high in Asia, particularly in China, especially in Rattus norvegicus, and thus comprehensive measures should be taken for rodent hosts control to avoid an angiostrongyliasis outbreak. Due to the wide distribution and movement of rodent hosts, people in all regions of China, even in other Asia area live at risk of an infection. Hence, the development of more reliable diagnostic tests will be key for an effective identification of cases as well as improved patient care. Consequently, further studies are required to updated strategies for controlling A.cantonensis infection among human population.Author summaryAngiostrongylus cantonensis (A.cantonensis) is a zoonotic parasitic nematode, with a worldwide distribution, causing eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis in human. Human infection with A.cantonensis typically occur from intentional or unintentional ingestion of infected intermediate or paratenic hosts, sometimes due to contaminated produce. Information about angiostrongyliasis burden, including its prevalence and incidence and geographic distribution in Asia, which is necessary to guide in planning appropriate control measures. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies in China and several Asian countries on A.cantonensis. Our approach allowed evidence-based approximation to the estimations of the burden of A.cantonensis infection, for different rodent hosts groups, geographic regions, publication years and so on. At the same time, our review showed the A.cantonensis infection rate among rodent hosts were still high in Asia, particularly in China, especially in Rattus norvegicus. Finally, much bigger and longer-term studies are required to updated strategies for controlling A.cantonensis infection among human population.

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Calodium hepaticum (Nematoda: Capillariidae) in synanthropic rodents (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) in Eastern Amazonia

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612013000200046 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 265-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Vera Lúcia Coimbra Moreira ◽

Elane Guerreiro Giese ◽

Djane Clarys Baía da Silva ◽

Francisco Tiago de Vasconcelos Melo ◽

Adriano Penha Furtado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Light Microscopy ◽

Rattus Norvegicus ◽

Human Population ◽

Amazon Basin ◽

Rattus Rattus ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Hepatic Parenchyma ◽

Number Of Factors ◽

Calodium Hepaticum ◽

Synanthropic Rodents

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a trichurid nematode that parasitizes the hepatic parenchyma of rodents and other mammals. Infections in humans are rare, although they have been reported worldwide. A number of factors contribute to the distribution of this zoonosis, particularly the presence of dense populations of rodents associated with relatively poor urban environments, such as those found in parts of the northern Brazilian city of Belém in the eastern Amazon Basin. This study quantifiedCalodium infections in commensal synanthropic rodents in Belém. Rodents were captured in three neighborhoods characterized by poor public sanitation and the city's highest incidence of human leptospirosis. A total of 50 rodents were captured (26 Rattus rattus and 24 R. norvegicus), and 23 (10 R. rattus and 13R. norvegicus) presented macroscopic lesions typical ofC. hepaticum. Light microscopy of fresh samples and histological specimens permitted the identification of larvae and adult specimens containing numerous eggs with a double-striated shell and bipolar opercula with plugs. This is the first report of C. hepaticumin R. rattus and R. norvegicus from the Amazon Basin, and it shows a considerable risk of transmission to the local human population.

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Restricting Traffic into the City Centre: Has Madrid Central Been Effective to Reduce NO 2 Levels?

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3495440 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rafael Salas ◽

María José Pérez Villadóniga ◽

Juan Prieto Rodríguez ◽

Ana Russo

Keyword(s):

City Centre ◽

The City

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What Makes a City Bikeable? A Study of Intercity and Intracity Patterns of Bicycle Ridership using Mobike Big Data Records

Built Environment ◽

10.2148/benv.46.1.55 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 55-75

Author(s):

Ying Long ◽

Jianting Zhao

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

Average Distance ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Rating System ◽

City Centre ◽

Average Score ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Usage Frequency ◽

Share Data ◽

The City

This paper examines how mass ridership data can help describe cities from the bikers' perspective. We explore the possibility of using the data to reveal general bikeability patterns in 202 major Chinese cities. This process is conducted by constructing a bikeability rating system, the Mobike Riding Index (MRI), to measure bikeability in terms of usage frequency and the built environment. We first investigated mass ridership data and relevant supporting data; we then established the MRI framework and calculated MRI scores accordingly. This study finds that people tend to ride shared bikes at speeds close to 10 km/h for an average distance of 2 km roughly three times a day. The MRI results show that at the street level, the weekday and weekend MRI distributions are analogous, with an average score of 49.8 (range 0–100). At the township level, high-scoring townships are those close to the city centre; at the city level, the MRI is unevenly distributed, with high-MRI cities along the southern coastline or in the middle inland area. These patterns have policy implications for urban planners and policy-makers. This is the first and largest-scale study to incorporate mobile bike-share data into bikeability measurements, thus laying the groundwork for further research.

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Designer Benzodiazepines: A Review of Toxicology and Public Health Risks

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14060560 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 560

Author(s):

Pietro Brunetti ◽

Raffaele Giorgetti ◽

Adriano Tagliabracci ◽

Marilyn A. Huestis ◽

Francesco Paolo Busardò

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Adverse Events ◽

Health Risks ◽

Drug Market ◽

Driving Under The Influence ◽

Self Administration ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Drug Offense ◽

Legal Sanctions ◽

Designer Benzodiazepines

The rising use of designer benzodiazepines (DBZD) is a cat-and-mouse game between organized crime and law enforcement. Non-prohibited benzodiazepines are introduced onto the global drug market and scheduled as rapidly as possible by international authorities. In response, DBZD are continuously modified to avoid legal sanctions and drug seizures and generally to increase the abuse potential of the DBZD. This results in an unpredictable fluctuation between the appearance and disappearance of DBZD in the illicit market. Thirty-one DBZD were considered for review after consulting the international early warning database, but only 3-hydroxyphenazepam, adinazolam, clonazolam, etizolam, deschloroetizolam, diclazepam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, meclonazepam, phenazepam and pyrazolam had sufficient data to contribute to this scoping review. A total of 49 reports describing 1 drug offense, 2 self-administration studies, 3 outpatient department admissions, 44 emergency department (ED) admissions, 63 driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) and 141 deaths reported between 2008 and 2021 are included in this study. Etizolam, flualprazolam flubromazolam and phenazepam were implicated in the majority of adverse-events, drug offenses and deaths. However, due to a general lack of knowledge of DBZD pharmacokinetics and toxicity, and due to a lack of validated analytical methods, total cases are much likely higher. Between 2019 and April 2020, DBZD were identified in 48% and 83% of postmortem and DUID cases reported to the UNODC, respectively, with flualprazolam, flubromazolam and etizolam as the most frequently detected substances. DBZD toxicology, public health risks and adverse events are reported.

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Metal Contamination of Oman Sea Seaweed and Its Associated Public Health Risks

Biological Trace Element Research ◽

10.1007/s12011-021-02865-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elham Shahri ◽

Mohammad Hossein Sayadi ◽

Elham Yousefi ◽

Mozhgan Savabieasfehani

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Risks ◽

Metal Contamination ◽

Public Health Risks ◽

Oman Sea

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Understanding Spatial Variability of NO2 in Urban Areas Using Spatial Modelling and Data Fusion Approaches

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12020179 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 179

Author(s):

Said Munir ◽

Martin Mayfield ◽

Daniel Coca

Keyword(s):

Data Fusion ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

Low Cost ◽

Spatial Modelling ◽

City Centre ◽

Small Scale ◽

The City

Small-scale spatial variability in NO2 concentrations is analysed with the help of pollution maps. Maps of NO2 estimated by the Airviro dispersion model and land use regression (LUR) model are fused with measured NO2 concentrations from low-cost sensors (LCS), reference sensors and diffusion tubes. In this study, geostatistical universal kriging was employed for fusing (integrating) model estimations with measured NO2 concentrations. The results showed that the data fusion approach was capable of estimating realistic NO2 concentration maps that inherited spatial patterns of the pollutant from the model estimations and adjusted the modelled values using the measured concentrations. Maps produced by the fusion of NO2-LCS with NO2-LUR produced better results, with r-value 0.96 and RMSE 9.09. Data fusion adds value to both measured and estimated concentrations: the measured data are improved by predicting spatiotemporal gaps, whereas the modelled data are improved by constraining them with observed data. Hotspots of NO2 were shown in the city centre, eastern parts of the city towards the motorway (M1) and on some major roads. Air quality standards were exceeded at several locations in Sheffield, where annual mean NO2 levels were higher than 40 µg/m3. Road traffic was considered to be the dominant emission source of NO2 in Sheffield.

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Spatio-Temporal Changes of Urban Forests and Planning Evolution in a Highly Dynamical Urban Area: The Case Study of Wrocław, Poland

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11010017 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Justyna Jaworek-Jakubska ◽

Maciej Filipiak ◽

Adam Michalski ◽

Anna Napierała-Filipiak

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Urban Forest ◽

Urban Forests ◽

Spatial Dimension ◽

Temporal Changes ◽

City Centre ◽

Socialist Economy ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Spatio Temporal ◽

The City

Knowledge about urban forests in Poland is still limited, as it is primarily based on aggregate, formal data relating to the general area, ignoring the spatial dimension and informal green areas. This article describes and analyses spatio-temporal changes in the actual urban forest resources in Wrocław in 1944–2017, which covers the first period of the city’s rebuilding after its destruction during World War II and its development during the nationalised, centrally-planned socialist economy, as well as the second period of intensive and only partly controlled growth under conditions of market economy. The study is based on current and historical orthophotomaps, which were confronted with cartographic data, as well as planning documents. We found that between 1944 and 2017, the percentage contribution of informal woodlands increased tenfold (from 0.5 to 4.9% of the present total area of the city). The area occupied by such forests has grown particularly during the most recent years of the city’s intensive development. However, the forests have been increasingly fragmented. During the first period, new forest areas were also created in the immediate vicinity of the city centre, while during the second one, only in its peripheral sections. The post-war plans regarding the urban green spaces (UGS), including the current plan, are very conservative in nature. On the one hand, this means no interference with the oldest, biggest, and most valuable forest complexes, but on the other hand, insufficient consideration of the intensive built-up area expansion on former agriculture areas. Only to a limited extent did the above-mentioned plans take into account the informal woodlands, which provide an opportunity for strengthening the functional connectivity of landscape.

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