Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The helminth community of a population of Rattus norvegicus from an urban Brazilian slum and the threat of zoonotic diseases
AU - Carvalho-Pereira, Ticiana
AU - Souza, Fábio N
AU - Santos, Luana R N
AU - Walker, Ruth
AU - Pertile, Arsinoê C
AU - de Oliveira, Daiana S
AU - Pedra, Gabriel G
AU - Minter, Amanda
AU - Rodrigues, Maria Gorete
AU - Bahiense, Thiago C
AU - Reis, Mitermayer G
AU - Diggle, Peter J
AU - Ko, Albert I
AU - Childs, James E
AU - da Silva, Eduardo M
AU - Begon, Mike
AU - Costa, Federico
PY - 2018/5
Y1 - 2018/5
N2 - Urban slums provide suitable conditions for infestation by rats, which harbour and shed a wide diversity of zoonotic pathogens including helminths. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with the probability and intensity of infection of helminths of the digestive tract in an urban slum population of Rattus norvegicus. Among 299 rats, eleven species/groups of helminths were identified, of which Strongyloides sp., Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and, the human pathogen, Angiostrongylus cantonensis were the most frequent (97, 41 and 39%, respectively). Sex interactions highlighted behavioural differences between males and females, as eg males were more likely to be infected with N. brasiliensis where rat signs were present, and males presented more intense infections of Strongyloides sp. Moreover, rats in poor body condition had higher intensities of N. brasiliensis. We describe a high global richness of parasites in R. norvegicus, including five species known to cause disease in humans. Among these, A. cantonensis was found in high prevalence and it was ubiquitous in the study area - knowledge which is of public health importance. A variety of environmental, demographic and body condition variables were associated with helminth species infection of rats, suggesting a comparable variety of risk factors for humans.
AB - Urban slums provide suitable conditions for infestation by rats, which harbour and shed a wide diversity of zoonotic pathogens including helminths. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with the probability and intensity of infection of helminths of the digestive tract in an urban slum population of Rattus norvegicus. Among 299 rats, eleven species/groups of helminths were identified, of which Strongyloides sp., Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and, the human pathogen, Angiostrongylus cantonensis were the most frequent (97, 41 and 39%, respectively). Sex interactions highlighted behavioural differences between males and females, as eg males were more likely to be infected with N. brasiliensis where rat signs were present, and males presented more intense infections of Strongyloides sp. Moreover, rats in poor body condition had higher intensities of N. brasiliensis. We describe a high global richness of parasites in R. norvegicus, including five species known to cause disease in humans. Among these, A. cantonensis was found in high prevalence and it was ubiquitous in the study area - knowledge which is of public health importance. A variety of environmental, demographic and body condition variables were associated with helminth species infection of rats, suggesting a comparable variety of risk factors for humans.
U2 - 10.1017/S0031182017001755
DO - 10.1017/S0031182017001755
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 29113595
VL - 145
SP - 797
EP - 806
JO - Parasitology
JF - Parasitology
SN - 0031-1820
IS - 6
ER -