Azimi T, Nasrollahian S, Sabour S, Mosadegh M, Hadi N, Azimi L, Fallah F, Pourmand MR. Intestinal Colonization by
Campylobacter jejuni,
Clostridium difficile, and
Clostridium perfringens among Commensal
Rattus norvegicus in the Urban Areas of Tehran, Iran.
BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024;
2024:2929315. [PMID:
38572169 PMCID:
PMC10990632 DOI:
10.1155/2024/2929315]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Background
Rattus norvegicus (R. norvegicus) population plays a significant role in the spread of numerous diseases in urban environments. The present study is aimed at investigating the presence of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), C. coli, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), C. difficile toxigenic, and C. perfringens in R. norvegicus captured from urban areas of Tehran, Iran.
Methods
From October 2021 to October 2022, 100 urban rats were trapped in 5 different districts of Tehran, Iran. The genomic DNA was extracted from fecal samples, and the presence of C. jejuni, C. coli, C. perfringens, and C. difficile species was evaluated using PCR assay. Moreover, PCR was used to assess the toxicity of C. difficile isolates.
Results
Overall, 30% (n = 30/100) of fecal samples were positive for zoonotic pathogens. Based on the PCR on hippuricase (hipO), glycine (gly), CIDIF, and phospholipase C (plc) genes, C. perfringens and C. difficile were isolated from 18.2% (n = 14/77) and 5.2% (n = 4/77) of male rats. The highest frequency of C. perfringens and C. jejuni was 25% (n = 5/20) related to the south of Tehran. Toxigenic C. difficile was not detected in all regions.
Conclusion
According to the findings, rats are the main reservoirs for diseases. Therefore, rodent control coupled with the implementation of surveillance systems should be prioritized for urban health.
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