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Murray MH, Byers KA, Buckley JY, Magle SB, German D. Associations between Rat Infestations and Mental Health Vary by Gender, Race, and Income in Chicago. J Urban Health 2024; 101:318-326. [PMID: 38565779 PMCID: PMC11052945 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-024-00840-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Rats are an understudied stressor for people in urban environments around the world but the effects may not be distributed equally among residents. In this study, we examined associations between residential rat sightings and mental health in Chicago, where rat complaints are the highest of any American city. We examined how this relationship varied by frequency of rat sightings, race, ethnicity, income, home ownership, and gender and explored potential psychosocial pathways (e.g., feelings about the home) between rat sightings and mental distress. We conducted a randomized household survey along an income gradient in 2021 and asked about depressive symptoms in the past week (i.e., Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), frequency of rat sightings in/around the home, perceptions of rats, neighborhood conditions, and socio-demographic characteristics. We used logistic regression to assess relationships among these variables for our entire sample and for specific demographics using stratified models. Respondents (n = 589; 409 complete cases) who saw rats in/around the home daily/almost daily had 5.5 times higher odds of reporting high depressive symptoms relative to respondents who saw rats less frequently after accounting for socio-demographics and neighborhood conditions. This relationship was significant for men and respondents with lower incomes or race or ethnicity other than white. Our results show that rat infestations should be considered a threat to mental health among urban residents. Increased mental health support for residents living in rat-infested housing may improve public health in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Kaylee A Byers
- Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | | | - Seth B Magle
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Danielle German
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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2
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Diagne C, Ballesteros-Mejia L, Cuthbert RN, Bodey TW, Fantle-Lepczyk J, Angulo E, Bang A, Dobigny G, Courchamp F. Economic costs of invasive rodents worldwide: the tip of the iceberg. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14935. [PMID: 36992943 PMCID: PMC10042159 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rodents are among the most notorious invasive alien species worldwide. These invaders have substantially impacted native ecosystems, food production and storage, local infrastructures, human health and well-being. However, the lack of standardized and understandable estimation of their impacts is a serious barrier to raising societal awareness, and hampers effective management interventions at relevant scales. Methods Here, we assessed the economic costs of invasive alien rodents globally in order to help overcome these obstacles. For this purpose, we combined and analysed economic cost data from the InvaCost database-the most up-to-date and comprehensive synthesis of reported invasion costs-and specific complementary searches within and beyond the published literature. Results Our conservative analysis showed that reported costs of rodent invasions reached a conservative total of US$ 3.6 billion between 1930 and 2022 (annually US$ 87.5 million between 1980 and 2022), and were significantly increasing through time. The highest cost reported was for muskrat Ondatra zibethicus (US$ 377.5 million), then unspecified Rattus spp. (US$ 327.8 million), followed by Rattus norvegicus specifically (US$ 156.6 million) and Castor canadensis (US$ 150.4 million). Of the total costs, 87% were damage-related, principally impacting agriculture and predominantly reported in Asia (60%), Europe (19%) and North America (9%). Our study evidenced obvious cost underreporting with only 99 documents gathered globally, clear taxonomic gaps, reliability issues for cost assessment, and skewed breakdowns of costs among regions, sectors and contexts. As a consequence, these reported costs represent only a very small fraction of the expected true cost of rodent invasions (e.g., using a less conservative analytic approach would have led to a global amount more than 80-times higher than estimated here). Conclusions These findings strongly suggest that available information represents a substantial underestimation of the global costs incurred. We offer recommendations for improving estimates of costs to fill these knowledge gaps including: systematic distinction between native and invasive rodents' impacts; monetizing indirect impacts on human health; and greater integrative and concerted research effort between scientists and stakeholders. Finally, we discuss why and how this approach will stimulate and provide support for proactive and sustainable management strategies in the context of alien rodent invasions, for which biosecurity measures should be amplified globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Diagne
- CBGP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
| | | | - Ross N. Cuthbert
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas W. Bodey
- School of Biological Sciences, King’s College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elena Angulo
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alok Bang
- Society for Ecology Evolution and Development, Wardha, India
| | - Gauthier Dobigny
- CBGP, Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montferrier-sur-Lez, France
- Unité Peste, Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274 Ambatofotsikely Avaradoha, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Franck Courchamp
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Orsay, France
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3
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A systematic review of Rat Ecology in Urban Sewer Systems. Urban Ecosyst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01292-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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4
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Fidino M, Lehrer EW, Kay CAM, Yarmey NT, Murray MH, Fake K, Adams HC, Magle SB. Integrated species distribution models reveal spatiotemporal patterns of human-wildlife conflict. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2647. [PMID: 35535608 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To mitigate human-wildlife conflict it is imperative to know where and when conflict occurs. However, standard methods used to predict the occurrence of human-wildlife conflict often fail to recognize how a species distribution likely limits where and when conflict may happen. As such, methods that predict human-wildlife conflict could be improved if they could identify where conflict will occur relative to species' underlying distribution. To this end, we used an integrated species distribution model that combined presence-only wildlife complaints with data from a systematic camera trapping survey throughout Chicago, Illinois. This model draws upon both data sources to estimate a latent distribution of species; in addition, the model can estimate where conflict is most likely to occur within that distribution. We modeled the occupancy and conflict potential of coyote (Canis latrans), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) as a function of urban intensity, per capita income, and home vacancy rates throughout Chicago. Overall, the distribution of each species constrained the spatiotemporal patterns of conflict throughout the city of Chicago. Within each species distribution, we found that human-wildlife conflict was most likely to occur where humans and wildlife habitat overlap (e.g., featuring higher-than-average canopy cover and housing density). Furthermore, human-wildlife conflict was most likely to occur in high-income neighborhoods for Virginia opossum and raccoon, despite the fact that those two species have higher occupancy in low-income neighborhoods. As such, knowing where species are distributed can inform guidelines on where wildlife management should be focused, especially if it overlaps with human habitats. Finally, because this integrated model can incorporate data that have already been collected by wildlife managers or city officials, this approach could be used to develop stronger collaborations with wildlife management agencies and conduct applied research that will inform landscape-scale wildlife management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason Fidino
- Conservation and Science Department, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Cria A M Kay
- Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Nicholas T Yarmey
- Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Kimberly Fake
- Conservation and Science Department, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Henry C Adams
- Conservation and Science Department, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Seth B Magle
- Conservation and Science Department, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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5
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Robinson SJ, Finer R, Himsworth CG, Pearl DL, Rousseau J, Weese JS, Lindsay LR, Dibernardo A, Huynh C, Jardine CM. Evaluating the utility of pest control sourced rats for zoonotic pathogen surveillance. Zoonoses Public Health 2022; 69:468-474. [DOI: 10.1111/zph.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Robinson
- Department of Pathobiology Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Rachel Finer
- Department of Pathobiology 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
| | - David L. Pearl
- Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Joyce Rousseau
- Department of Pathobiology Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - J. Scott Weese
- Department of Pathobiology Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - L. Robbin Lindsay
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Chris Huynh
- Public Health Agency of Canada, National Microbiology Laboratory Winnipeg Manitoba 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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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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Parsons MH, Richardson JL, Kiyokawa Y, Stryjek R, Corrigan RM, Deutsch MA, Ootaki M, Tanikawa T, Parsons FE, Munshi-South J. Rats and the COVID-19 pandemic: considering the influence of social distancing on a global commensal pest. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [PMCID: PMC8500081 DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rats contaminate foods and spread pathogens. Thus, changes in rat populations have consequences for society, especially in densely-populated cities. Following widespread social distancing and lockdown measures to curtail SARS-CoV-2, worldwide media outlets reported increased sightings of rats. To document possible changes in rat populations, we: (i) examined public service requests in the 6 years before, and during, ‘lockdown’ in New York City; (ii) used spatial analyses to identify calls in proximity to food service establishments (FSE); and (iii) surveyed pest-management companies. Over 6 years prior to the pandemic, we found a consistent moderate spatial association (r = 0.35) between FSE and rat-related calls. During the early stages of the pandemic, the association between rat reports and food services did not decrease as would be expected by restaurant closures, but instead modestly increased (r = 0.45). There was a 29.5% decrease in rat reports, overall. However, hotspot analysis showed that new reports were highly localized, yet absent in several industrial areas they were previously observed in, potentially masking a higher proportion of calls in neighborhoods near closed restaurants. Additionally, 37% of pest management companies surveyed reported that, unlike previous years, 50–100% of requests were from new clients and addresses. The finding that hotspots remained nearby dense clusters of restaurants does not support the common narrative that rats moved long distances. Rather, our results are consistent with rats finding nearby alternative food resources. Tracking these dynamics as the COVID-19 pandemic abates will be an important step to identifying how rats respond to society returning to normal activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Parsons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Yasushi Kiyokawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rafal Stryjek
- Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Michael A Deutsch
- Medical and Applied Entomology, Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc., Lynbrook, NY, USA
| | - Masato Ootaki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Faith E Parsons
- CareSet Systems, Houston, TX, USA
- Center for Behavioral and Cardiovascular Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jason Munshi-South
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Louis Calder Center—Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, NY, USA
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8
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The effect of COVID19 pandemic restrictions on an urban rodent population. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12957. [PMID: 34155237 PMCID: PMC8217515 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92301-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Shortly after the enactment of restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, various local government and public health authorities around the world reported an increased sighting of rats. Such reports have yet to be empirically validated. Here we combined data from multi-catch rodent stations (providing data on rodent captures), rodent bait stations (providing data on rodent activity) and residents' complaints to explore the effects of a six week lockdown period on rodent populations within the City of Sydney, Australia. The sampling interval encompassed October 2019 to July 2020 with lockdown defined as the interval from April 1st to May 15th, 2020. Rodent captures and activity (visits to bait stations) were stable prior to lockdown. Captures showed a rapid increase and then decline during the lockdown, while rodent visits to bait stations declined throughout this period. There were no changes in the frequency of complaints during lockdown relative to before and after lockdown. There was a non-directional change in the geographical distribution of indices of rodent abundance suggesting that rodents redistributed in response to resource scarcity. We hypothesize that lockdown measures initially resulted in increased rodent captures due to sudden shortage of human-derived food resources. Rodent visits to bait stations might not show this pattern due to the nature of the binary data collected, namely the presence or absence of a visit. Relocation of bait stations driven by pest management goals may also have affected the detection of any directional spatial effect. We conclude that the onset of COVID-19 may have disrupted commensal rodent populations, with possible implications for the future management of these ubiquitous urban indicator species.
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9
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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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10
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Sánchez CA, Rios MJ, Murray MH. Social and environmental correlates of rat complaints in Chicago. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Urban rats are widely distributed pests that have negative effects on public health and property. It is crucial to understand their distribution to inform control efforts and address drivers of rat presence. Analysing public rat complaints can help assess urban rat distribution and identify factors supporting rat populations. Both social and environmental factors could promote rat complaints and must be integrated to understand rat distributions. We analysed rat complaints made between 2011 and 2017 in Chicago, a city with growing rat problems and stark wealth inequality. We examined whether rat complaints at the census tract level are associated with factors that could influence rat abundance, rats’ visibility to humans, and the likelihood of people making a complaint. Complaints were significantly positively correlated with anthropogenic factors hypothesized to promote rat abundance (restaurants, older buildings, garbage complaints, and dog waste complaints) or rat visibility (building construction/demolition activity), and factors hypothesized to increase the likelihood of complaining (human population density, more owner-occupied homes); we also found that complaints were highest in the summer. Our results suggest that conflicts between residents and rats are mainly driven by seasonal variation in rat abundance and human activity and could be mitigated with strategies such as securing food waste from residential and commercial sources. Accounting for social factors such as population density, construction and demolition activity, and home ownership versus rental can also help cities more accurately predict blocks at higher risk of rat conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia A Sánchez
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green St., Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green St., Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - María Jazmín Rios
- DePaul University, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604, USA
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
| | - Maureen H Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute, Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
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Des Roches S, Brans KI, Lambert MR, Rivkin LR, Savage AM, Schell CJ, Correa C, De Meester L, Diamond SE, Grimm NB, Harris NC, Govaert L, Hendry AP, Johnson MTJ, Munshi‐South J, Palkovacs EP, Szulkin M, Urban MC, Verrelli BC, Alberti M. Socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:248-267. [PMID: 33519968 PMCID: PMC7819562 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cities are uniquely complex systems regulated by interactions and feedbacks between nature and human society. Characteristics of human society-including culture, economics, technology and politics-underlie social patterns and activity, creating a heterogeneous environment that can influence and be influenced by both ecological and evolutionary processes. Increasing research on urban ecology and evolutionary biology has coincided with growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics, which encompasses the interactions and reciprocal feedbacks between evolution and ecology. Research on both urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics frequently focuses on contemporary evolution of species that have potentially substantial ecological-and even social-significance. Still, little work fully integrates urban evolutionary biology and eco-evolutionary dynamics, and rarely do researchers in either of these fields fully consider the role of human social patterns and processes. Because cities are fundamentally regulated by human activities, are inherently interconnected and are frequently undergoing social and economic transformation, they represent an opportunity for ecologists and evolutionary biologists to study urban "socio-eco-evolutionary dynamics." Through this new framework, we encourage researchers of urban ecology and evolution to fully integrate human social drivers and feedbacks to increase understanding and conservation of ecosystems, their functions and their contributions to people within and outside cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Des Roches
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
| | - Kristien I. Brans
- Department of BiologyLaboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Max R. Lambert
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - L. Ruth Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
- Centre for Urban EnvironmentsUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
| | - Amy Marie Savage
- Department of BiologyCenter for Computational and Integrative BiologyRutgers UniversityCamdenNJUSA
| | - Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Cristian Correa
- Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Recursos NaturalesInstituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y TerritorioUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Centro de Humedales Río CrucesUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Luc De Meester
- Department of BiologyLaboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and ConservationKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- Institute of BiologyFreie UniversitätBerlinGermany
- Leibniz Institut für Gewasserökologie und BinnenfischereiBerlinGermany
| | - Sarah E. Diamond
- Department of BiologyCase Western Reserve UniversityClevelandOHUSA
| | - Nancy B. Grimm
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - Nyeema C. Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Department of Aquatic EcologySwiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and TechnologyDuebendorfSwitzerland
| | - Andrew P. Hendry
- Department of BiologyRedpath MuseumMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Marc T. J. Johnson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
- Centre for Urban EnvironmentsUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaONCanada
| | - Jason Munshi‐South
- Department of Biological Sciences and Louis Calder CenterFordham UniversityArmonkNYUSA
| | - Eric P. Palkovacs
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCAUSA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New TechnologiesUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Center of Biological Risk and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of ConnecticutStorrsCTUSA
| | - Brian C. Verrelli
- Center for Life Sciences EducationVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVAUSA
| | - Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and PlanningUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWAUSA
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12
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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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13
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Maas M, Helsloot T, Takumi K, van der Giessen J. Assessing trends in rat populations in urban and non-urban environments in the Netherlands. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Rats in urban areas pose health risks as they can transmit various zoonotic pathogens. Monitoring rat populations in urban areas is therefore a key determinant in risk assessments for taking adequate control and preventive measures. However, large-scale and long-term monitoring of rat populations is labor-intensive and time consuming. The aim of this study was to develop a low-cost and low-time- consuming method to gain insight into the trends of rat populations in urban and non-urban environments in the Netherlands, and to identify potential drivers of these trends. From 2014 to 2018, local municipalities or their pest control organizations voluntarily submitted quarterly overviews of rat nuisance reports in urban areas. For non-urban areas, a nationwide record of reported bycatch species from the muskrat control was used to assess a potential trend. To identify potential drivers of observed trends, employees of nine municipalities were interviewed. Rat nuisance reports from 25 municipalities were analyzed. An increasing trend in rat nuisance reports was observed in 12, a decreasing trend in 3 and no trend in 10 municipalities. In non-urban areas, no trend in the bycatch of rats was detected. The increase in rat nuisance reports was associated with a large municipality resident size. No consistent drivers could be identified, but potential drivers were discussed in the interviews. Although it was not possible to quantify their influence on the rat population trends seen, they provide direction for future studies on drivers of rat populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Maas
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Tamara Helsloot
- Department Animal Management, Van Hall Institute, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
| | - Katsuhisa Takumi
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Joke van der Giessen
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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14
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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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15
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Murray MH, Fidino M, Fyffe R, Byers KA, Pettengill JB, Sondgeroth KS, Killion H, Magle SB, Rios MJ, Ortinau N, Santymire RM. City sanitation and socioeconomics predict rat zoonotic infection across diverse neighbourhoods. Zoonoses Public Health 2020; 67:673-683. [PMID: 32583624 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Rat-associated zoonoses transmitted through faeces or urine are of particular concern for public health because environmental exposure in homes and businesses may be frequent and undetected. To identify times and locations with greater public health risks from rats, we investigated whether rat characteristics, environmental features, socioeconomic factors, or season could predict rat infection risk across diverse urban neighbourhoods. In partnership with a pest management company, we sampled rats in 13 community areas along an income gradient in Chicago, a large city where concern about rats has increased in recent years. We collected kidneys for Leptospira spp. testing and colon contents for aerobic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Of 202 sampled rats, 5% carried Leptospira spp. and 22% carried E. coli. Rats were significantly more likely to carry Leptospira spp. on blocks with more standing water complaints in higher-income neighbourhoods (OR = 6.74, 95% CI: 1.54-29.39). Rats were significantly more likely to carry E. coli on blocks with more food vendors (OR = 9.94, 2.27-43.50) particularly in low-income neighbourhoods (OR = 0.26, 0.09-0.82) and in the spring (OR = 15.96, 2.90-88.62). We detected a high diversity of E. coli serovars but none contained major virulence factors. These associations between environmental features related to sanitation and infection risk in rats support transmission through water for Leptospira spp. and faecal-oral transmission for E. coli. We also found opposing relationships between zoonotic infection risk and income for these two pathogens. Thus, our results highlight the importance of sanitation for predicting zoonotic disease risks and including diverse urban areas in pathogen surveillance to mitigate public health risks from rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mason Fidino
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Kaylee A Byers
- Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, BC, Canada
| | - James B Pettengill
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, United States Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Seth B Magle
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Maria Jazmin Rios
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nora Ortinau
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rachel M Santymire
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
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