Rodent infestation in the city of Buenos Aires: a temporal, spatial an environmental analysis.

CAVIA, R.; MUSCHETTO, E.; CUETO G.R; SUAREZ, O.

Mendoza, Argentina

Congreso; 10 th International Mammalogical Congreso; 2009

International Federation of Mammalogists - IFM and Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos - SAREM

The aim of this work was to study rodent infestation levels in the city. We analysed complaints about rodent infestation received by the government authorities of the city of Buenos Aires between 2001 and 2002. We also performed a survey of the presence of rodents in103 sites distributed as a grid, covering the whole city surface. Number of received complaints per month was related with monthly mean temperature, with a two months delay (r=0.812, p=0.000), being highest in late summer and lowest in winter and spring. Number of received complaints was highest in city areas with high density of industries (Multiple regression R2=0.925, p=0.000). A 98.02% of 4243 inhabitants surveyed in the 103 sites were georeferenciated using their home or work address. We used as rodent infestation indexes the proportion of people surveyed who answered to have seen rodents in their home or work (PropHome/ Work), and in their neighbourhood (PropNeig) during the last 90 days, in each city site. The PropHome/Work showed a mean value of 0.108 (s.e.=0.090) and was positive associated to the PropNeig (p<0.001). The PropHome/Work showed a spatial autocorrelation that reached 11686 meters defining big areas with different levels of rodent infestation. The highest PropHome/Work values were observed in city areas with the lowest department buildings densities, highest proportion of the surface occupied by shantytowns and highest food factories densities (GLM RL2=0.242, p=0.003). In conclusion, city areas with the highest department buildings densities have the lowest values of rodent infestation, while shantytowns and industrial areas have the highest values of rodent infestation and, which, according to the information available for trapping, belong to Rattus rattus infestations in industrial areas and to Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus in shantytowns. Shantytowns and industrial areas must be the priority areas to carry out rodentcontrol and prevention actions.