Environmental variables associated with hantavirus reservoirs and other small rodent species in two national parks in the Paraná delta, Argentina. Implications for disease prevention.

VADELL, VICTORIA; GÓMEZ VILLAFAÑE, ISABEL

ECOHEALTH

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2016 vol. 13 p. 248 - 260

1612-9202

HantavirusPulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by hantaviruseshosted in various rodents species. In Argentina, its transmission to humans hasbeen associated to exposure during activities such as farming, recreation, andtourism which are carried out in wild and rural areas. The aim of this study was to analyze the macro and micro habitatuse and spatial-temporal variation of small sylvan rodents in Pre Delta andIslas de Santa Fe National Parks, located in an HPS endemic area of Argentina.Rodent communities were studied at six sites: two islands, a riparian forest,an inland forest, a marsh, and the margins of a pond. A total of 453individuals of five species were captured with a trapping effort of 9471trap-nights. Maximum species richness was found at the marsh and the pondmargin sites. Abundance of rodents was influenced by flooding events. Twohantavirus reservoirs, Oligoryzomysflavescens and Akodon azarae,were identified in the area. O.flavescens was captured in every habitat, but it was dominant in Islas deSanta Fe National Park where its abundance was strongly influenced by flooding.A. azarae was captured in everyhabitat except on the islands. A. azaraebehaved as a generalist species at a micro habitat scale in every habitat of PreDelta National Park except for the marsh where it selected patches with low vegetationheight. Based on these results, several disease prevention measures, includingthe use of rodent-proof containers for food, and keeping the grass short in thecamp site, are proposed in order to reduce the risk of visitors and residentsfrom contracting HPS.