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A S urvey of Z oonotic P athogens C arried by N on‐ I ndigenous R odents at the I nterface of the W et T ropics of N orth Q ueensland, A ustralia
Author(s) -
Chakma S.,
Picard J.,
Duffy R.,
Constantinoiu C.,
Gummow B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
transboundary and emerging diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.392
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1865-1682
pISSN - 1865-1674
DOI - 10.1111/tbed.12360
Subject(s) - biology , leptospira , brucella , rodent , coxiella burnetii , veterinary medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , leptospira interrogans , flea , salmonella , zoology , brucellosis , serotype , virology , ecology , bacteria , medicine , genetics
Summary In 1964, B rucella was isolated from rodents trapped in W ooroonooran N ational P ark ( WNP ), in N orthern Q ueensland, A ustralia. Genotyping of bacterial isolates in 2008 determined that they were a novel B rucella species. This study attempted to reisolate this species of B rucella from rodents living in the boundary area adjacent to WNP and to establish which endo‐ and ecto‐parasites and bacterial agents were being carried by non‐indigenous rodents at this interface. Seventy non‐indigenous rodents were trapped [ M us musculus (52), R attus rattus (17) and R attus norvegicus (1)], euthanized and sampled on four properties adjacent to the WNP in J uly 2012. Organ pools were screened by culture for S almonella , L eptospira and B rucella species, real‐time PCR for C oxiella burnetii and conventional PCR for L eptospira . Collected ecto‐ and endo‐parasites were identified using morphological criteria. The percentage of rodents carrying pathogens were L eptospira (40%) , S almonella choleraesuis ssp. arizonae (14.29%), ectoparasites (21.42%) and endoparasites (87%). B rucella and C . burnetii were not identified, and it was concluded that their prevalences were below 12%. Two rodent‐specific helminthic species, namely S yphacia obvelata (2.86%) and N ippostrongylus brasiliensis (85.71%), were identified. The most prevalent ectoparasites belonged to L aelaps spp. (41.17%) followed by P olyplax spp. (23.53%), H oplopleura spp. (17.65%), I xodes holocyclus (17.64%) and S tephanocircus harrisoni (5.88%), respectively. These ectoparasites, except S . harrisoni , are known to transmit zoonotic pathogens such as R ickettsia spp. from rat to rat and could be transmitted to humans by other arthropods that bite humans. The high prevalence of pathogenic L eptospira species is of significant public health concern. This is the first known study of zoonotic agents carried by non‐indigenous rodents living in the A ustralian wet‐tropical forest interface.