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Bezerra TL, de Jesus RF, Soares RM, Borges-Silva W, Gondim LFP. Sarcocystis sp. shed by the common boa snake ( Boa constrictor) in Brazil. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 22:84-91. [PMID: 37731591 PMCID: PMC10507586 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
The genus Sarcocystis contains around 200 species and 25 of these infect snakes. Two Sarcocystis spp. shed by snakes have called special attention of the scientific community. S. nesbitti, which is shed by scrub pythons (Simalia amethistina), causes myopathy in humans that consume water or food contaminated with the parasite. Sporocysts of S. singaporensis, excreted by reticulated pythons (Malayopython reticulatus), is letal for rats and was successfully tested in the biological control of these rodents. A high biodiversity of snakes is found in Brazil, however, scarce information is available about Sarcocystis spp. in Brazilian snakes. Herein, we investigated Sarcocystis sp. in feces of the common boa (Boa constrictor) from Salvador, as it is widely distributed in Brazil and it is also bred in other countries. Feces of 65 boas were examined, and Sarcocystis sp. was found in 1/65 (1.53%) snakes. All snakes were alive, and for this reason, intestinal scrapping, which is the most sensitive method to detect the parasite, was not performed. Morphometric evaluation of sporocysts showed significant differences in their sizes. PCR and multilocus sequencing of four genetic markers (cox1, 18S, ITS1, and 28S) revealed that sporocysts corresponded to a new Sarcocystis species. Sequences of cox1 and 18S had identities of 100% and higher than 98%, respectively, with sequences obtained from the rodent Lagostomus maximus in Argentina. ITS1 and 28S sequences did not match with any known Sarcocystis sp. No ITS1 and 28S sequences were available for the Sarcocystis sp. found in the Argentinian L.maximus. Bioassay using the boa sporocysts was conducted in three mouse lineages and in Rattus norvegicus, but no parasitic stages were detected in these rodents. We concluded that the common boa is probably the definitive host of a new species of Sarcocystis sp. that has L. maximus or related rodents as intermediate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taynar Lima Bezerra
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Clinics, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Avenida Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, 40170-110, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Rogério Fernando de Jesus
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Clinics, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Avenida Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, 40170-110, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Martins Soares
- Departament of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr.Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508 270, Brazil
| | - Waléria Borges-Silva
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Clinics, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Avenida Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, 40170-110, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Luís Fernando Pita Gondim
- Department of Anatomy, Pathology and Clinics, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Escola de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Avenida Adhemar de Barros, 500, Ondina, Salvador, 40170-110, Bahia, Brazil
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Lee MJ, Byers KA, Stephen C, Patrick DM, Corrigan R, Iwasawa S, Himsworth CG. Reconsidering the “War on Rats”: What We Know From Over a Century of Research Into Municipal Rat Management. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.813600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To sustainably control urban rat infestations, management efforts need to encompass large areas of urban centers. Therefore, the objective of this review and narrative synthesis was to collate what is known about municipal-scale rat management. We explored the management frameworks that have been used at a large scale in cities and we describe the expectations of experts who have designed and implemented these frameworks. We found that there has been a persistent “war on rats” paradigm driving this literature since the early 1900s. Not only was there little quantitative evidence to support this paradigm and associated methodologies, but together, they failed to meet the expectations of those who designed and implemented them due to real-world constraints (i.e., limited resources). To improve the field of municipal management, we identify two distinct options. First, stakeholders may continue to wage the “war on rats” while improving existing strategies within this paradigm. Key pathways forward include developing evaluation metrics aligned with program objectives, establishing the cost-effectiveness of methodologies, and improving control efficacy. Second, we suggest a new paradigm, one that considers that rat management is a complex system that must be approached by first mapping its complexity to highlight and prioritize the many complex upstream determinants of infestations. This perspective highlights how rat management may be a wicked problem for which there is no overarching solution and instead can only be managed by making incremental gains in individual components of the problem over time. Importantly, we propose an alternative management objective that places a priority on improving the overall health of the community, instead of on eliminating rats, and we stress that management goals must address stakeholders’ goals as their investment is essential for a sustained program.
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Oh HYP, Humaidi M, Chan QY, Yap G, Ang KY, Tan J, Ng LC, Mailepessov D. Association of rodents with man-made infrastructures and food waste in Urban Singapore. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2022; 12:2016560. [PMID: 35111287 PMCID: PMC8803118 DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2021.2016560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yun Penny Oh
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahathir Humaidi
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qian Yi Chan
- Environmental Public Health Operations Department, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Grace Yap
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kai Yang Ang
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jason Tan
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lee Ching Ng
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Diyar Mailepessov
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
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