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Vadell MV, Fischer CG, Codesido M, Carbajo A, Bilenca D, Gómez Villafañe IE. Modelling relative abundance of Oligoryzomys flavescens, an Orthohantavirus reservoir, in an endemic hantavirus pulmonary syndrome zone. Zoonoses Public Health 2023; 70:13-21. [PMID: 36031760 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a zoonotic emerging infectious disease caused by New World orthohantaviruses (family Hantaviridae) hosted by rodents of the family Cricetidae. In Argentina, one of its main hosts is the sigmodontine rodent Oligoryzomys flavescens, a widely distributed mouse of the Pampas, Delta and Espinal ecoregions of central-east Argentina. Because the abundance of the reservoir and its proportion in the rodent community affects both virus prevalence and human exposure risk, its estimation throughout its known geographical distribution is of key importance for the design of public health strategies to prevent HPS. The aim of this study was therefore to model the relative abundance of O. flavescens in most of the Pampas ecoregion within Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, where hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is endemic. To do this we used owl-pellet samples collected between 2006 and 2008 from 51 sites distributed throughout most of Buenos Aires province. Mammalian prey in each pellet was identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level by examination of the skulls, dentaries and molars. We modelled the frequency of O. flavescens found in each sample as a function of climatic, environmental, and topographic data of each site. The two best models were applied to a Geo referential Information System to build maps of estimated frequency (as a proxy of relative abundance) within Buenos Aires province. Estimated relative abundance of O. flavescens in Buenos Aires province was significantly associated with annual mean temperature, annual precipitation and presence of freshwater bodies, and varied among sub-regions, with the Inland and Rolling Pampas being the regions with highest frequencies. Knowing in which areas O. flavescens abundance is expected to be higher can be used to concentrate limited sanitary efforts in those areas that are most needed in order to reduce transmission and increase detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Victoria Vadell
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT) - ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G Malbrán", Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos González Fischer
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariano Codesido
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aníbal Carbajo
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - David Bilenca
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Isabel E Gómez Villafañe
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (CONICET-UBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Maroli M, Burgos EF, Piña CI, Gómez Villafañe IE. Population survey of small rodents on islands located inside a region of endemism for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Ecological studies of rodent species, especially as reservoirs of zoonoses, can identify spatiotemporal conditions associated with irruptions of abundances, as well as predict areas and times with higher risk of disease transmission. The aims of this research were to describe and identify (i) the rodent community composition; (ii) their population structure and breeding season; (iii) temporal and spatial variations in their population abundance; and (iv) the environmental factors associated with these variations on islands of upper Paraná River Delta, a zone of endemism for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in Argentina (Entre Ríos and Santa Fe provinces). We carried out seasonal surveys over 3 years (2014–2017) with live capture traps on seven islands (natural protected areas and under livestock grazing). Three hundred seventy-seven sigmodontine rodents of seven species were captured. While the maximum richness was seven, only four species coexisted at most on an island at the same time. Although changes in reproduction were detected throughout the year, seasonality, land use, and vegetation structure did not explain changes in abundance of rodents. Rodent abundances were affected mainly by flooding-related factors and meteorological conditions (rainfall and temperatures). The recovery of rodent populations after river flooding was species-specific and heterogeneous. The abundance of Oxymycterus rufus and Akodon azarae was affected by El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO); A. azarae did not recover after the flood at least during the study period. After the flood, populations of Oligoryzomys flavescens, the reservoir of HPS, also declined; however, this species’ populations were the first to recover its numbers, becoming dominant in the post-flood rodent community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Maroli
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción (CONICET-Provincia de Entre Ríos-UADER), Diamante, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos, Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Eliana Florencia Burgos
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical (INMeT)-ANLIS “Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán”, Ambar s/n, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Carlos Ignacio Piña
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Transferencia Tecnológica a la Producción (CONICET-Provincia de Entre Ríos-UADER), Diamante, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos, Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Isabel Elisa Gómez Villafañe
- Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (CONICET-UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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