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Robinson SJ, Pearl DL, Himsworth CG, Weese JS, Lindsay LR, Dibernardo A, Huynh C, Hill JE, Fernando C, Jardine CM. Environmental and sociodemographic factors associated with zoonotic pathogen occurrence in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Windsor, Ontario. Zoonoses Public Health 2024; 71:416-428. [PMID: 38419369 DOI: 10.1111/zph.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Rat-associated zoonotic pathogen transmission at the human-wildlife interface is a public health concern in urban environments where Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) thrive on abundant anthropogenic resources and live in close contact with humans and other animal species. To identify potential factors influencing zoonotic pathogen occurrence in rats, we investigated associations between environmental and sociodemographic factors and Leptospira interrogans and Bartonella spp. infections in rats from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, while controlling for the potential confounding effects of animal characteristics (i.e., sexual maturity and body condition). METHODS AND RESULTS Between November 2018 and June 2021, 252 rats were submitted by collaborating pest control professionals. Kidney and spleen samples were collected for L. interrogans and Bartonella spp. PCR and sequencing, respectively. Of the rats tested by PCR, 12.7% (32/252) were positive for L. interrogans and 16.3% (37/227) were positive for Bartonella species. Associations between infection status and environmental and sociodemographic variables of interest were assessed via mixed multivariable logistic regression models with a random intercept for social group and fixed effects to control for sexual maturity and body condition in each model. The odds of L. interrogans infection were significantly higher in rats from areas with high building density (odds ratio [OR]: 3.76; 95% CI: 1.31-10.79; p = 0.014), high human population density (OR: 3.31; 95% CI: 1.20-9.11; p = 0.021), high proportion of buildings built in 1960 or before (OR: 11.21; 95% CI: 2.06-60.89; p = 0.005), and a moderate number of reports of uncollected garbage compared to a low number of reports (OR: 4.88; 95% CI: 1.01-23.63; p = 0.049). A negative association was observed between median household income and Bartonella spp. infection in rats (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.08-0.89; p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS Due to the complexity of the ecology of rat-associated zoonoses, consideration of environmental and sociodemographic factors is of critical importance to better understand the nuances of host-pathogen systems and inform how urban rat surveillance and intervention efforts should be distributed within cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Robinson
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - David L Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chelsea G Himsworth
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J Scott Weese
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Chris Huynh
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Janet E Hill
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Champika Fernando
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Claire M Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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2
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de Cock MP, de Vries A, Fonville M, Esser HJ, Mehl C, Ulrich RG, Joeres M, Hoffmann D, Eisenberg T, Schmidt K, Hulst M, van der Poel WHM, Sprong H, Maas M. Increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165069. [PMID: 37392874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Urban greening has benefits for both human and environmental health. However, urban greening might also have negative effects as the abundance of wild rats, which can host and spread a great diversity of zoonotic pathogens, increases with urban greenness. Studies on the effect of urban greening on rat-borne zoonotic pathogens are currently unavailable. Therefore, we investigated how urban greenness is associated with rat-borne zoonotic pathogen prevalence and diversity, and translated this to human disease hazard. We screened 412 wild rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus) from three cities in the Netherlands for 18 different zoonotic pathogens: Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Spiroplasma spp., Streptobacillus moniliformis, Coxiella burnetii, Salmonella spp., methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli, rat hepatitis E virus (ratHEV), Seoul orthohantavirus, Cowpox virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Toxoplasma gondii and Babesia spp. We modelled the relationships between pathogen prevalence and diversity and urban greenness. We detected 13 different zoonotic pathogens. Rats from greener urban areas had a significantly higher prevalence of Bartonella spp. and Borrelia spp., and a significantly lower prevalence of ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli and ratHEV. Rat age was positively correlated with pathogen diversity while greenness was not related to pathogen diversity. Additionally, Bartonella spp. occurrence was positively correlated with that of Leptospira spp., Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp., and Borrelia spp. occurrence was also positively correlated with that of Rickettsia spp. Our results show an increased rat-borne zoonotic disease hazard in greener urban areas, which for most pathogens was driven by the increase in rat abundance rather than pathogen prevalence. This highlights the importance of keeping rat densities low and investigating the effects of urban greening on the exposure to zoonotic pathogens in order to make informed decisions and to take appropriate countermeasures preventing zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke P de Cock
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Ankje de Vries
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Manoj Fonville
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Helen J Esser
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands.
| | - Calvin Mehl
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Rainer G Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Germany; Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Maike Joeres
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Donata Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
| | - Tobias Eisenberg
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Hessian State Laboratory, Giessen, Hessen, Germany.
| | - Katja Schmidt
- Microbiological Diagnostics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
| | - Marcel Hulst
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Wim H M van der Poel
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, the Netherlands; Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Flevoland, the Netherlands.
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Miriam Maas
- Centre for Infectious diseases, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Murray MH, Byers KA, Buckley J, Lehrer EW, Kay C, Fidino M, Magle SB, German D. Public perception of urban wildlife during a COVID-19 stay-at-home quarantine order in Chicago. Urban Ecosyst 2022; 26:127-140. [PMID: 36196074 PMCID: PMC9523173 DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01284-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Reduced human activity to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was accompanied by reports of unusual wildlife sightings in highly developed areas. Such experiences with urban nature may have helped residents cope with the stress of the pandemic and increased public interest in urban wildlife; however, this may depend on the species residents encountered. In this study, we surveyed Chicago, Illinois, USA residents during a stay-at-home order to understand if residents in more affluent or greener neighborhoods saw more wildlife species. We also evaluated whether encounters with pest and non-pest species were associated with residents' values about wildlife. Of 593 responses included in our analyses, respondents in higher-income and greener neighborhoods were more likely to perceive increased wildlife sightings and respondents in higher-income areas reported observing a higher number common birds and mammals. Support for seeing wildlife in residential areas was associated with seeing passerine birds and not seeing rats during the stay-at-home order. Our results suggest that perceived increases in wildlife sightings were common during a stay-at-home order, especially for affluent residents, and that residents' perceptions depended on the species encountered. Understanding how changes in human behavior modifies human-wildlife interactions can help mitigate human-wildlife conflict and foster positive engagement with local wildlife. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11252-022-01284-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H. Murray
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Kaylee A. Byers
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, BC Canada
| | - Jacqueline Buckley
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Elizabeth W. Lehrer
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Cria Kay
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Mason Fidino
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Seth B. Magle
- Dept. of Conservation and Science, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark St, 60614 Chicago, IL USA
| | - Danielle German
- grid.21107.350000 0001 2171 9311Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
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Falay D, Hardy L, Tanzito J, Lunguya O, Bonebe E, Peeters M, Mattheus W, Van Geet C, Verheyen E, Akaibe D, Katuala P, Ngbonda D, Weill FX, Pardos de la Gandara M, Jacobs J. Urban rats as carriers of invasive Salmonella Typhimurium sequence type 313, Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010740. [PMID: 36067238 PMCID: PMC9481155 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS–mainly serotypes Enteritidis and Typhimurium) are major causes of bloodstream infections in children in sub-Saharan Africa, but their reservoir remains unknown. We assessed iNTS carriage in rats in an urban setting endemic for iNTS carriage and compared genetic profiles of iNTS from rats with those isolated from humans. Methodology/Principal findings From April 2016 to December 2018, rats were trapped in five marketplaces and a slaughterhouse in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo. After euthanasia, blood, liver, spleen, and rectal content were cultured for Salmonella. Genetic relatedness between iNTS from rats and humans—obtained from blood cultures at Kisangani University Hospital—was assessed with multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core-genome MLST (cgMLST). 1650 live-capture traps yielded 566 (34.3%) rats (95.6% Rattus norvegicus, 4.4% Rattus rattus); 46 (8.1%) of them carried Salmonella, of which 13 had more than one serotype. The most common serotypes were II.42:r:- (n = 18 rats), Kapemba (n = 12), Weltevreden and Typhimurium (n = 10, each), and Dublin (n = 8). Salmonella Typhimurium belonged to MLST ST19 (n = 7 rats) and the invasive ST313 (n = 3, isolated from deep organs but not from rectal content). Sixteen human S. Typhimurium isolates (all ST313) were available for comparison: MLVA and cgMLST revealed two distinct rat-human clusters involving both six human isolates, respectively, i.e. in total 12/16 human ST313 isolates. All ST313 Typhimurium isolates from rats and humans clustered with the ST313 Lineage 2 isolates and most were multidrug resistant; the remaining isolates from rats including S. Typhimurium ST19 were pan-susceptible. Conclusion The present study provides evidence of urban rats as potential reservoirs of S. Typhimurium ST313 in an iNTS endemic area in sub-Saharan Africa. Dadi (°1974, DR Congo) is a Medical Doctor (Kisangani University 2005) with a master in pediatrics (Kisangani University 2015) with special interest in infectious diseases and tropical medicine. He has 11 years of field research experience. He was team member of scientific expedition “Boyekoli Ebale Congo” in 2010 as medical support for the researchers. He conducted work field in a multidisciplinary framework with biologists from faculty of sciences (university of Kisangani) exploring zoonotic diseases in several places in the Congo. Currently, he is doing his PhD research at KU Leuven and Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM), Belgium. Passionate about transmissible diseases, Dadi is exploring the potential reservoirs of non-typhoidal Salmonella in Kisangani, DR Congo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dadi Falay
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Liselotte Hardy
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Jacques Tanzito
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Octavie Lunguya
- Department of Medical Biology, National Institute for Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Department of Microbiology, University Teaching Hospital of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Edmonde Bonebe
- Department of Medical Biology, National Institute for Biomedical Research, Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Marjan Peeters
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wesley Mattheus
- Sciensano, Infectious Diseases in Humans, Bacterial Diseases, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chris Van Geet
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Pediatrics, KU Leuven and University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erik Verheyen
- OD Taxonomy & Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolutionary Ecology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dudu Akaibe
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Pionus Katuala
- Biodiversity Monitoring Center (Centre de Surveillance de la Biodiversité, CSB), Faculty of Science, University of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Dauly Ngbonda
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Kisangani, Kisangani, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - François-Xavier Weill
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité des bactéries pathogènes entériques, Paris, France
| | | | - Jan Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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Canine leptospirosis in Canada, test-positive proportion and risk factors (2009 to 2018): A cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270313. [PMID: 35749480 PMCID: PMC9231783 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been an apparent increased frequency and widened distribution of canine leptospirosis in Canada, however, this has been minimally investigated. Availability and clinical uptake of Leptospira polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based testing of dogs in Canada may provide important insight into the epidemiology of this canine and zoonotic infectious disease. Study objectives were to evaluate clinical canine Leptospira PCR test results from a large commercial laboratory to determine temporal and spatial distribution in Canada and identify dog, geographic and temporal risk factors for test-positive dogs. This cross-sectional study analyzed data obtained from IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. on 10,437 canine Leptospira PCR tests (blood and/or urine) submitted by Canada-based veterinarians (July 2009 to May 2018). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for test-positive dogs. Test-positive proportion varied widely annually (4.8–14.0%) and by location. Provinces with the highest test-positive proportion over the study period were Nova Scotia (18.5%) and Ontario (9.6%), with the prairie provinces (Manitoba and Alberta combined) having the lowest proportion (1.0%); the northern territories could not be evaluated due to limited testing. In the final model, dog age, sex, breed, month, and year test performed, and location (urban/rural, province) of the practice submitting the sample were significant predictors of a positive Leptospira PCR test. Dogs less than one year of age (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.6–2.9), male sex (OR = 1.3; 1.1–1.5), toy breed (OR = 3.3; 2.5–4.4), and samples submitted from an urban practice (OR = 1.3; 1.0–1.8) had the greatest odds of a positive Leptospira PCR test as compared to referent groups. Significant two-way interactions between province-month and year-month highlight the complex spatial and temporal influences on leptospirosis occurrence in this region. Our work suggests a high incidence of canine leptospirosis regionally within Canada. Identifiable dog and location factors may assist in future targeted prevention efforts.
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Combs MA, Kache PA, VanAcker MC, Gregory N, Plimpton LD, Tufts DM, Fernandez MP, Diuk-Wasser MA. Socio-ecological drivers of multiple zoonotic hazards in highly urbanized cities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1705-1724. [PMID: 34889003 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of pathogen spillover from wildlife to human hosts, particularly in densely populated urban centers. Prevention of future zoonotic disease is contingent on informed surveillance for known and novel threats across diverse human-wildlife interfaces. Cities are a key venue for potential spillover events because of the presence of zoonotic pathogens transmitted by hosts and vectors living in close proximity to dense human settlements. Effectively identifying and managing zoonotic hazards requires understanding the socio-ecological processes driving hazard distribution and pathogen prevalence in dynamic and heterogeneous urban landscapes. Despite increasing awareness of the human health impacts of zoonotic hazards, the integration of an eco-epidemiological perspective into public health management plans remains limited. Here we discuss how landscape patterns, abiotic conditions, and biotic interactions influence zoonotic hazards across highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in temperate climates to promote their efficient and effective management by a multi-sectoral coalition of public health stakeholders. We describe how to interpret both direct and indirect ecological processes, incorporate spatial scale, and evaluate networks of connectivity specific to different zoonotic hazards to promote biologically-informed and targeted decision-making. Using New York City, USA as a case study, we identify major zoonotic threats, apply knowledge of relevant ecological factors, and highlight opportunities and challenges for research and intervention. We aim to broaden the toolbox of urban public health stakeholders by providing ecologically-informed, practical guidance for the evaluation and management of zoonotic hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pallavi A Kache
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nichar Gregory
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Laura D Plimpton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Casanovas-Massana A, Souza FN, Curry M, de Oliveira D, de Oliveira AS, Eyre MT, Santiago D, Santos MA, Serra RMR, Lopes E, Xavier BIA, Diggle PJ, Wunder EA, Reis MG, Ko AI, Costa F. Effect of Sewerage on the Contamination of Soil with Pathogenic Leptospira in Urban Slums. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:15882-15890. [PMID: 34767339 PMCID: PMC9302045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Leptospirosis is an environmentally transmitted zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. that affects poor communities worldwide. In urban slums, leptospirosis is associated with deficient sanitary infrastructure. Yet, the role of sewerage in the reduction of the environmental contamination with pathogenic Leptospira has not been explored. Here, we conducted a survey of the pathogen in soils surrounding open and closed sewer sections in six urban slums in Brazil. We found that soils surrounding conventionally closed sewers (governmental interventions) were 3 times less likely to contain pathogenic Leptospira (inverse OR 3.44, 95% CI = 1.66-8.33; p < 0.001) and contained a 6 times lower load of the pathogen (0.82 log10 units difference, p < 0.01) when compared to their open counterparts. However, no differences were observed in community-closed sewers (poor-quality closings performed by the slum dwellers). Human fecal markers (BacHum) were positively associated with pathogenic Leptospira even in closed sewers, and rat presence was not predictive of the presence of the pathogen in soils, suggesting that site-specific rodent control may not be sufficient to reduce the environmental contamination with Leptospira. Overall, our results indicate that sewerage expansion to urban slums may help reduce the environmental contamination with the pathogen and therefore reduce the risk of human leptospirosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnau Casanovas-Massana
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Fabio Neves Souza
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Melanie Curry
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Daiana de Oliveira
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Anderson S. de Oliveira
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Max T. Eyre
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil; Centre for Health Informatics, Computing, and Statistics, Lancaster University Medical School, Lancaster LA1 4YW, United Kingdom
| | - Diogo Santiago
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil
| | - Maísa Aguiar Santos
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Rafael M. R. Serra
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Evelyn Lopes
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil
| | - Barbara IA Xavier
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil
| | - Peter J. Diggle
- Centre for Health Informatics, Computing, and Statistics, Lancaster University Medical School, Lancaster LA1 4YW, United Kingdom
| | - Elsio A. Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Mitermayer G. Reis
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil; Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40026-010, Brazil
| | - Albert I. Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Federico Costa
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States; Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia 40110-040, Brazil; Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador, Bahia 40296-710, Brazil
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8
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Pettengill JB, Kase JA, Murray MH. The Population Genetics, Virulence, and Public Health Concerns of Escherichia coli Collected From Rats Within an Urban Environment. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:631761. [PMID: 34777266 PMCID: PMC8585510 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.631761] [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: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-existence of rats and humans in urban environments has long been a cause for concern regarding human health because of the potential for rats to harbor and transmit disease-causing pathogens. Here, we analyze whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 41 Escherichia coli isolates collected from rat feces from 12 locations within the city of Chicago, IL, United States to determine the potential for rats to serve as a reservoir for pathogenic E. coli and describe its population structure. We identified 25 different serotypes, none of which were isolated from strains containing significant virulence markers indicating the presence of Shiga toxin-producing and other disease-causing E. coli. Nor did the E. coli isolates harbor any particularly rare stress tolerant or antimicrobial resistance genes. We then compared the isolates against a public database of approximately 100,000 E. coli and Shigella isolates of primarily food, food facility, or clinical origin. We found that only one isolate was genetically similar to genome sequences in the database. Phylogenetic analyses showed that isolates cluster by serotype, and there was little geographic structure (e.g., isolation by distance) among isolates. However, a greater signal of isolation by distance was observed when we compared genetic and geographic distances among isolates of the same serotype. This suggests that E. coli serotypes are independent lineages and recombination between serotypes is rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Pettengill
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Office of Analytics and Outreach, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD, United States
| | - J A Kase
- Division of Microbiology, Office of Regulatory Science, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD, United States
| | - M H Murray
- Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology, Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States
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9
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de Wit LA, Ricketts TH. Trade and Deforestation Predict Rat Lungworm Disease, an Invasive-Driven Zoonosis, at Global and Regional Scales. Front Public Health 2021; 9:680986. [PMID: 34568251 PMCID: PMC8458565 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.680986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of non-native species and deforestation are both important drivers of environmental change that can also facilitate the geographic spread of zoonotic pathogens and increase disease risk in humans. With ongoing trends in globalization and land-use conversions, introduced species and deforestation are ever more likely to pose threats to human health. Here, we used rat lungworm disease, an emerging zoonotic disease caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis and maintained by invasive rats and snails, to explore how these two forms of environmental change can impact zoonotic disease risk. We used logistic regressions to examine the role of global trade in the introduction of A. cantonensis at a country level and used model estimates to predict the probability of introduction as a function of trade. We then used hurdle-based regression models to examine the association between deforestation and rat lungworm disease in two regions where A. cantonensis is already established: Hawaii and Thailand. At the global scale, we found the trade of horticultural products to be an important driver in the spread of A. cantonensis and that the majority of countries at high risk of future A. cantonensis introduction are islands. At country scales, we found deforestation to increase the per-capita risk of A. cantonensis exposure in Hawaii and Thailand. Our study provides a preliminary view of the associations between species introductions, deforestation, and risk of A. cantonensis exposure in people. Better understanding how these two widespread and overlapping forms of environmental change affect human health can inform international biosecurity protocols, invasive species management, and land-use policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz A de Wit
- RubensteinSchool of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.,Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Taylor H Ricketts
- RubensteinSchool of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States.,Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
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10
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Worsley-Tonks KEL, Gehrt SD, Anchor C, Escobar LE, Craft ME. Infection risk varies within urbanized landscapes: the case of coyotes and heartworm. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:464. [PMID: 34503566 PMCID: PMC8427890 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04958-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urbanization can have profound effects on ecological interactions. For host-pathogen interactions, differences have been detected between urban and non-urban landscapes. However, host-pathogen interactions may also differ within highly heterogeneous, urbanized landscapes. METHODS We investigated differences in infection risk (i.e., probability of infection) within urbanized landscapes using the coyote (Canis latrans) and mosquito-borne nematode, Dirofilaria immitis (the causative agent for canine heartworm), as a case study. We focused on a coyote population in Chicago for which extensive behavioral and heartworm infection data has been collected between 2001 and 2016. Our objectives were to: (i) determine how onset and duration of the heartworm transmission season varied over the 16-year period and across the urban-suburban gradient; and (ii) investigate how heartworm infection risk in coyotes varied over the years, across the urban-suburban gradient, by coyote characteristics (e.g., age, sex, resident status), and coyote use of the urbanized landscape (e.g., use of urban areas, mosquito habitats). RESULTS While onset of the heartworm transmission season differed neither by year nor across the urban-suburban gradient, it was longer closer to the core of Chicago. Of the 315 coyotes sampled, 31.1% were infected with D. immitis. Older coyotes and coyotes sampled in later years (i.e., 2012-2016) were more likely to have heartworm. While coyote location in the urban-suburban gradient was not a significant predictor of infection, the proportion of urban land in coyote home ranges was. Importantly, the size and direction of this association varied by age class. For adults and pups, infection risk declined with urbanization, whereas for subadults it increased. Further, models had a higher predictive power when focusing on resident coyotes (and excluding transient coyotes). The proportion of mosquito habitat in coyote home ranges was not a significant predictor of infection. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that urbanization may affect host exposure to vectors of D. immitis, that risk of infection can vary within urbanized landscapes, and that urbanization-wildlife infection associations may only be detected for animals with certain characteristics (e.g., age class and resident status).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stanley D Gehrt
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.,Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation, Dundee Township, IL, USA
| | - Chris Anchor
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Hoffman Estates, IL, 60120, USA
| | - Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Meggan E Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
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11
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Murray MH, Sánchez CA. Urban rat exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides and zoonotic infection risk. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210311. [PMID: 34376077 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) deployed to control rodent pest populations can increase the risk of pathogen infection for some wildlife. However, it is unknown whether ARs also increase infection risk for target rodents, which are common hosts for zoonotic (animal-to-human transmitted) pathogens. In this study, we tested whether rats exposed to ARs were more likely to be infected with zoonotic pathogens, specifically Leptospira spp. or Escherichia coli, after controlling for known predictors of infection (i.e. sex, age, body condition). We collected biological samples from 99 rats trapped in Chicago alleys and tested these for Leptospira infection, E. coli shedding and AR exposure. We found that rats that had been exposed to ARs and survived until the time of trapping, as well as older rats, were significantly more likely to be infected with Leptospira spp. than other rats. We found no significant association between E. coli shedding and any predictors. Our results show that human actions to manage rats can affect rat disease ecology and public health risks in unintended ways, and more broadly, contribute to a growing awareness of bidirectional relationships between humans and natural systems in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Cecilia A Sánchez
- EcoHealth Alliance, 520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10018, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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12
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Murray MH, Byers KA, Buckley J, Magle SB, Maffei D, Waite P, German D. "I don't feel safe sitting in my own yard": Chicago resident experiences with urban rats during a COVID-19 stay-at-home order. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1008. [PMID: 34049525 PMCID: PMC8163585 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Encounters with rats in urban areas increase risk of human exposure to rat-associated zoonotic pathogens and act as a stressor associated with psychological distress. The frequency and nature of human-rat encounters may be altered by social distancing policies to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, restaurant closures may reduce food availability for rats and promote rat activity in nearby residential areas, thus increasing public health risks during a period of public health crisis. In this study, we aimed to identify factors associated with increased perceived exposure to rats during a stay-at-home order, describe residents' encounters with rats relevant to their health and well-being, and identify factors associated with increased use of rodent control. METHODS Urban residents in Chicago, a large city with growing concerns about rats and health disparities, completed an online questionnaire including fixed response and open-ended questions during the spring 2020 stay-at-home order. Analyses included ordinal multivariate regression, spatial analysis, and thematic analysis for open-ended responses. RESULTS Overall, 21% of respondents (n = 835) reported an increase in rat sightings around their homes during the stay-at-home order and increased rat sightings was positively associated with proximity to restaurants, low-rise apartment buildings, and rat feces in the home (p ≤ 0.01). Many respondents described feeling unsafe using their patio or yard, and afraid of rats entering their home or spreading disease. Greater engagement with rodent control was associated with property ownership, information about rat control, and areas with lower incomes (p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS More frequent rat encounters may be an unanticipated public health concern during periods of social distancing, especially in restaurant-dense areas or in low-rise apartment buildings. Rat presence may also limit residents' ability to enjoy nearby outdoor spaces, which otherwise might buffer stress experienced during a stay-at-home order. Proactive rat control may be needed to mitigate rat-associated health risks during future stay-at-home orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Kaylee A Byers
- Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Buckley
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Seth B Magle
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dorothy Maffei
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Preeya Waite
- Center for Community Health Equity, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Danielle German
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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13
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Ellwanger JH, Veiga ABGD, Kaminski VDL, Valverde-Villegas JM, Freitas AWQD, Chies JAB. Control and prevention of infectious diseases from a One Health perspective. Genet Mol Biol 2021; 44:e20200256. [PMID: 33533395 PMCID: PMC7856630 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2020-0256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caught the attention of the global community and rekindled the debate about our ability to prevent and manage outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Many alternatives are suggested to address these urgent issues. Some of them are quite interesting, but with little practical application in the short or medium term. To realistically control infectious diseases, human, animal, and environmental factors need to be considered together, based on the One Health perspective. In this article, we highlight the most effective initiatives for the control and prevention of infectious diseases: vaccination; environmental sanitation; vector control; social programs that encourage a reduction in the population growth; control of urbanization; safe sex stimulation; testing; treatment of sexually and vertically transmitted infections; promotion of personal hygiene practices; food safety and proper nutrition; reduction of the human contact with wildlife and livestock; reduction of social inequalities; infectious disease surveillance; and biodiversity preservation. Subsequently, this article highlights the impacts of human genetics on susceptibility to infections and disease progression, using the SARS-CoV-2 infection as a study model. Finally, actions focused on mitigation of outbreaks and epidemics and the importance of conservation of ecosystems and translational ecology as public health strategies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Henrique Ellwanger
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular - PPGBM, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Valéria de Lima Kaminski
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia - ICT, Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Jacqueline María Valverde-Villegas
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier (IGMM), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire coopératif IGMM/ABIVAX, UMR 5535, Montpellier, France
| | - Abner Willian Quintino de Freitas
- Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre - UFCSPA, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Tecnologias da Informação e Gestão em Saúde, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - José Artur Bogo Chies
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Genética, Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Departamento de Genética, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular - PPGBM, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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14
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Herrera DJ, Moore SM, Flockhart DTT, McShea WJ, Cove MV. Thinking outside the park: recommendations for camera trapping mammal communities in the urban matrix. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Urbanization is increasing globally, fragmenting habitats and prompting human–wildlife conflict. Urban wildlife research is concurrently expanding, but sampling methods are often biased towards large and intact habitats in public green spaces, neglecting the far more abundant, but degraded, habitats in the urban matrix. Here, we introduce the Five P’s of Urban Ecology—Partnerships, Planning, Placements, Public participation and Processing—as a path to overcoming the logistical barriers often associated with camera-trapping in the urban matrix. Though the Five P’s can be applied to a variety of urban sampling methods, we showcase the camera-trapping efforts of the DC Cat Count project in Washington, DC, as a case study. We compared occupancy models for eight urban mammal species using broad categorizations of land cover and local land use to determine drivers of mammal occurrence within the urban matrix as compared with urban habitat patches. Many native species maintained a strong association with large, semi-natural green spaces, but occupancy was not limited to these locations, and in some cases, the use of private yards and the built environment were not notably different. Furthermore, some species exhibited higher occupancy probabilities in developed areas over green spaces. Though seemingly intuitive, we offer advice on how to greatly reduce habitat-biased sampling methods in urban wildlife research and illustrate the importance of doing so to ensure accurate results that support the formation of effective urban planning and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Herrera
- Humane Rescue Alliance, 71 Oglethorpe Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, USA
| | - Sophie M Moore
- Humane Rescue Alliance, 71 Oglethorpe Street NW, Washington, DC 20011, USA
| | - D T Tyler Flockhart
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 301 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD 21532, USA
| | - William J McShea
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Michael V Cove
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 11 W Jones Street, Raleigh, NC, 27601, USA
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15
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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16
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Peterson AC, Ghersi BM, Riegel C, Wunder EA, Childs JE, Blum MJ. Amplification of pathogenic Leptospira infection with greater abundance and co-occurrence of rodent hosts across a counter-urbanizing landscape. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:2145-2161. [PMID: 33107122 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Land use change can elevate disease risk by creating conditions beneficial to species that carry zoonotic pathogens. Observations of concordant global trends in increased pathogen prevalence or disease incidence and landscape change have generated concerns that urbanization could increase transmission risk of some pathogens. Yet host-pathogen relationships underlying transmission risk have not been well characterized within cities, even where contact between humans and species capable of transmitting pathogens of concern occurs. We addressed this deficit by testing the hypothesis that areas in cities experiencing greater population loss and infrastructure decline (i.e., counter-urbanization) can support a greater diversity of host species and a larger and more diverse pool of pathogens. We did so by characterizing pathogenic Leptospira infection relative to rodent host richness and abundance across a mosaic of abandonment in post-Katrina New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). We found that Leptospira infection loads were highest in areas that harboured increased rodent species richness (which ranged from one to four rodent species detected). Areas with greater host co-occurrence also harboured a greater abundance of hosts, including the host species most likely to carry high infection loads, indicating that Leptospira infection can be amplified by increases in overall and relative host abundance. Evidence of shared infection among rodent host species indicates that cross-species transmission of Leptospira probably increases infection at sites with greater host richness. Additionally, evidence that rodent co-occurrence and abundance and Leptospira infection load parallel abandonment suggests that counter-urbanization can elevate zoonotic disease risk within cities, particularly in underserved communities that are burdened with disproportionate concentrations of derelict properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Bruno M Ghersi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Claudia Riegel
- City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite, Rodent Control Board, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Elsio A Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.,Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian Ministry of Health, Salvador, Brazil
| | - James E Childs
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Blum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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17
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Schell CJ, Dyson K, Fuentes TL, Des Roches S, Harris NC, Miller DS, Woelfle-Erskine CA, Lambert MR. The ecological and evolutionary consequences of systemic racism in urban environments. Science 2020; 369:science.aay4497. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aay4497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Urban areas are dynamic ecological systems defined by interdependent biological, physical, and social components. The emergent structure and heterogeneity of urban landscapes drives biotic outcomes in these areas, and such spatial patterns are often attributed to the unequal stratification of wealth and power in human societies. Despite these patterns, few studies have effectively considered structural inequalities as drivers of ecological and evolutionary outcomes and have instead focused on indicator variables such as neighborhood wealth. In this analysis, we explicitly integrate ecology, evolution, and social processes to emphasize the relationships that bind social inequities—specifically racism—and biological change in urbanized landscapes. We draw on existing research to link racist practices, including residential segregation, to the heterogeneous patterns of flora and fauna observed by urban ecologists. In the future, urban ecology and evolution researchers must consider how systems of racial oppression affect the environmental factors that drive biological change in cities. Conceptual integration of the social and ecological sciences has amassed considerable scholarship in urban ecology over the past few decades, providing a solid foundation for incorporating environmental justice scholarship into urban ecological and evolutionary research. Such an undertaking is necessary to deconstruct urbanization’s biophysical patterns and processes, inform equitable and anti-racist initiatives promoting justice in urban conservation, and strengthen community resilience to global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Karen Dyson
- College of Built Environments, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Dendrolytics, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tracy L. Fuentes
- College of Built Environments, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Simone Des Roches
- College of Built Environments, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nyeema C. Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Danica Sterud Miller
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA 98402, USA
| | - Cleo A. Woelfle-Erskine
- School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Max R. Lambert
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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