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Guo Y, Li Z, Dong S, Si X, Ta N, Liang H, Xu L. Multiple infections of zoonotic pathogens in wild Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Vet Med Sci 2023; 9:2201-2211. [PMID: 37491010 PMCID: PMC10508490 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1214] [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: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The frequent interactions of rodents with humans make them a common source of zoonotic infections. Brandt's vole is the dominant rodent species of the typical steppe in Inner Mongolia, and it is also an important pest in grassland. OBJECTIVES To obtain an initial unbiased measure of the microbial diversity and abundance in the blood and intestinal tracts and to detect the pathogens carried by wild Brandt's voles in Hulun Buir, Inner Mongolia. METHODS Twenty wild adult Brandt's voles were trapped using live cages, and 12 intestinal samples were collected for metagenomic analysis and 8 blood samples were collected for meta-transcriptomic analysis. We compared the sequencing data with pathogenic microbiota databases to analyse the phylogenetic characteristics of zoonotic pathogens carried by wild voles. RESULTS A total of 122 phyla, 79 classes, 168 orders, 382 families and 1693 genera of bacteria and a total of 32 families of DNA and RNA viruses in Brandt's voles were characterized. We found that each sample carried more than 10 pathogens, whereas some pathogens that were low in abundance were still at risk of transmission to humans. CONCLUSION This study improves our understanding of the viral and bacterial diversity in wild Brandt's voles and highlights the multiple viral and bacterial pathogens carried by this rodent. These findings may serve as a basis for developing strategies targeting rodent population control in Hulun Buir and provide a better approach to the surveillance of pathogenic microorganisms in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongman Guo
- Vanke School of Public HealthTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute for Healthy ChinaTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Zhengrun Li
- Vanke School of Public HealthTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute for Healthy ChinaTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Shike Dong
- Vanke School of Public HealthTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute for Healthy ChinaTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoyan Si
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and PreventionHohhotChina
| | - Na Ta
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and PreventionHohhotChina
| | - Hanwei Liang
- Vanke School of Public HealthTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute for Healthy ChinaTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lei Xu
- Vanke School of Public HealthTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
- Institute for Healthy ChinaTsinghua UniversityBeijingChina
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Chen Y, Yan C, Sun Z, Wang Y, Tao S, Shen G, Xu T, Zhou P, Cao X, Wang F, Wang S, Hao S, Yang H, Li H, Zhang Q, Liu W, Zhao M, Zhang Z. Organochlorine Pesticide Ban Facilitated Reproductive Recovery of Chinese Striped Hamsters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:6140-6149. [PMID: 33797225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been used worldwide on an enormous scale over the last century but are banned globally due to environmental persistence and ecotoxicity in recent decades. The long-term effects of OCP ban for agricultural use in China since 1983 on the reproductive health of small terrestrial mammals have never been evaluated in the field. We examined the residue dynamics of OCPs and the reproductive performance of Chinese striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) in North China Plain during 1983-2010 and concluded that the exposure levels of OCPs in hamsters drastically decreased from 2900 ± 740 to 25.2 ± 6.88 ng/g with an average half-life of 5.08 yrs, coinciding with the observed reproductive recovery of hamsters. The population-based reproductive performance of hamsters was significantly and negatively associated with OCP exposure levels after adjusting the contributions from climate and population density factors, indicating that the ban of OCPs has facilitated the reproductive recovery of hamsters by up to 81% contribution. Our findings suggest that the OCP ban is effective to restore reproduction of small terrestrial mammals. Integration of population biology and environmental science is essential to assess the impacts of persistent organic pollutants on ecological safety and biodiversity loss under accelerated global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanchen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Research Center of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Chuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhe Sun
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Research Center of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Shu Tao
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Guofeng Shen
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Tongqin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Peixue Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Research Center of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Xiaoping Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fusheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shuqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shoushen Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hefang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hongjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Quan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Research Center of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Weiping Liu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Meirong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Research Center of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents in Agriculture, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Shuai LY, Wang LQ, Yang YP, Zhang FS. Effects of density dependence and climatic factors on population dynamics of Cricetulus barabensis: a 25-year field study. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rodents often act as keystone species in communities and play important roles in shaping structures and functions of many ecosystems. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of population fluctuation in rodents is therefore of great interest. Using the data from a 25-year field survey carried out in Inner Mongolia, China, we explored the effects of density dependence, local climatic factors, and a large-scale climatic perturbation (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) on the population dynamics of the striped hamster (Cricetulus barabensis), a rodent widely distributed in northern China. We detected a strong negative density-dependent effect on the population dynamics of C. barabensis. Rainfall had a significant positive effect on population change with a 1-year lag. The pregnancy rate of C. barabensis was negatively affected by the annual mean temperature in the current year, but positively associated with the population density in the current year and the annual Southern Oscillation Index in the previous year. Moving-window analyses suggested that, with a window length of 12 years, there was a significant interaction between rainfall and density dependence, with increasing rainfall alleviating the negative effect of density dependence. As C. barabensis often causes agricultural damage and can transmit zoonotic diseases to human beings, our results also have implications for pest and disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shuai
- School of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li-Qing Wang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Ping Yang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fu-Shun Zhang
- Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
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Xu L, Schmid BV, Liu J, Si X, Stenseth NC, Zhang Z. The trophic responses of two different rodent-vector-plague systems to climate change. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20141846. [PMID: 25540277 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plague, the causative agent of three devastating pandemics in history, is currently a re-emerging disease, probably due to climate change and other anthropogenic changes. Without understanding the response of plague systems to anthropogenic or climate changes in their trophic web, it is unfeasible to effectively predict years with high risks of plague outbreak, hampering our ability for effective prevention and control of the disease. Here, by using surveillance data, we apply structural equation modelling to reveal the drivers of plague prevalence in two very different rodent systems: those of the solitary Daurian ground squirrel and the social Mongolian gerbil. We show that plague prevalence in the Daurian ground squirrel is not detectably related to its trophic web, and that therefore surveillance efforts should focus on detecting plague directly in this ecosystem. On the other hand, plague in the Mongolian gerbil is strongly embedded in a complex, yet understandable trophic web of climate, vegetation, and rodent and flea densities, making the ecosystem suitable for more sophisticated low-cost surveillance practices, such as remote sensing. As for the trophic webs of the two rodent species, we find that increased vegetation is positively associated with higher temperatures and precipitation for both ecosystems. We furthermore find a positive association between vegetation and ground squirrel density, yet a negative association between vegetation and gerbil density. Our study thus shows how past surveillance records can be used to design and improve existing plague prevention and control measures, by tailoring them to individual plague foci. Such measures are indeed highly needed under present conditions with prevailing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Boris V Schmid
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo 0316, Norway
| | - Jun Liu
- Inner Mongolia Center for Endemic Disease Control and Research, Huhehot 010031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Si
- Inner Mongolia Center for Endemic Disease Control and Research, Huhehot 010031, People's Republic of China
| | - Nils Chr Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo 0316, Norway
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management on Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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Byrom AE, Nkwabi AJK, Metzger K, Mduma SAR, Forrester GJ, Ruscoe WA, Reed DN, Bukombe J, Mchetto J, Sinclair ARE. Anthropogenic stressors influence small mammal communities in tropical East African savanna at multiple spatial scales. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/wr14223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Context Protection of natural ecosystems undoubtedly safeguards ecological communities, with positive benefits for ecosystem processes and function. However, ecosystems are under threat from anthropogenic stressors that reduce the resilience both of component species and the system as a whole. Aims To determine how anthropogenic stressors (land use and climate change) could impact the diversity and resilience of a small mammal community in the greater Serengeti ecosystem, an East African savanna comprising Serengeti National Park (SNP) and adjacent agro-ecosystems, at local (SNP) and Africa-wide geographic scales. Methods We recorded small mammal species in 10 habitats in the greater Serengeti ecosystem, including the agro-ecosystem, over 48 years (1962–2010). We calculated richness and diversity for each habitat type, and used an index of similarity to quantify differences in the community among habitats. Species accumulation curves were also generated for each habitat type. Key results We recorded 40 species of small mammals in the greater Serengeti ecosystem. At the local scale, restricted habitat types in SNP (each <1% of the total area) made a disproportionately large contribution to diversity. Agro-ecosystems had lower richness and were less likely to contain specialist species. At regional and Africa-wide scales, local endemics were less likely to be recorded in the agro-ecosystem (57% species loss) compared with those with regional (33% loss) or Africa-wide (31%) geographic distributions. Conclusions At the local scale, the variety of habitats in SNP contributed to overall diversity. However, the ability to maintain this diversity in the adjacent agro-ecosystem was compromised for localised endemics compared with species with Africa-wide ranges. Land use intensification adjacent to SNP and projected changes in rainfall patterns for East Africa under global climate scenarios may compromise the future resilience of the small mammal community in this tropical savanna ecosystem. Implications The loss of rare or specialised species from protected areas and human-modified ecosystems could be mitigated by: (1) increasing habitat complexity and maintaining specialist habitats in the agro-ecosystem; and (2) creating buffers at the boundary of protected natural ecosystems that accommodate regime shifts in response to climatic change. These measures would increase the resilience of this coupled human–natural savanna ecosystem.
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