Parasites of urban rodents representing sanitary risk in La Plata city, Argentina: an example of the Latin American situation

NAVONE, G. T.; ROBLES, M. R.; FITTE B.

Postdam

Congreso; 6th International Conference of Rodent Biology and Management & 16th Rodens et Spatium; 2018

Argentina, as the rest of Latin America, is characterized by an important social fragmentation. There are numerous areas, mostly around big cities, where people live in conditions that represent a constant risk for their health. These conditions are represented mostly by environmental and structural factors (as accumulated garbage, polluted water bodies, absence of sewage networks, etc.). This context generates a suitable scenario for the presence of urban rodents, which are represented by the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus). These synantrhopic species are related to a high number of pathogens that directly affect to human health. The aim of this study was to register parasites of urban rodents that represent sanitary risk in different areas of La Plata city and to analyze factors that could be favouring their presence. Seasonal samplings were carried out in seven areas of Gran La Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina: six shantytowns and peripheral neighbourhoods and one area of the inner city of La Plata. A total of thirteen species of parasites were found: Acantocephala spp., Capillaria hepatica, Eimeria spp., Heterakis spumosa, Hymenolepis diminuta, Neospora caninum, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Rodentolepis nana, Strobilocercus fasciolaris, Strongyloides ratti, Syphacia muris, Toxoplasma gondii and Trichuris muris; and one genus bacteria: Leptospira spp. Six of these taxa represent a potential sanitary risk for human and domestic animals: Strobilocercus fasciolaris, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, Capillaria hepatica (helminths); Toxoplasma gondii (Protozoa) and Leptospira spp. (bacteria). The highest number of zoonotic species was observed in the areas with water bodies passing through and accumulation of garbage. This study shows urban rodents as sentinels of zoonotic diseases, alerting about the necessity of implementing actions tending to decrease their presence, with the final aim of avoiding risks to human and animal health.