Management practices to reduce human risk for developing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in Argentinian National Parks Administration protected areas.

LEPERA, GABRIELA; MARANTAS, ARISTÓBULO; PADULA, PADULA; BELLOMO, CARLA; VADELL, VICTORIA; GÓMEZ VILLAFAÑE, ISABEL

Íguazú. Argentina

Congreso; 59º Reuníon Wildlife Disease Association (WDA); 2010

Wildlife Disease Association

Human activities in the matrix around protected areas can modify ecosystems and zoonotic emergent disease dynamics that naturally occur in wildlife. The presence of wild native rodents of the genus Oligoryzomys, associated with HPS, an emergent disease caused by hantaviruses  and the raising number of visitors make human-rodent contact highly probable in protected areas. The aim of this work is to present the results of studies of the seroprevalence of rodent species carried out in protected areas in the yungas forest, paranaense forest, pampas and delta and Paraná islands ecoregions in Argentina; and to describe the management practices applied where positive rodents were detected. Seropositive rodents were found in 19% of Oligoryzomys nigripes in El Palmar (2007-2010) National Park and 21% of Akodon azarae in Otamendi (2007-2009) Natural Reserve. No seropositive rodents were found in Calilegua, El Rey (2007), Iguazú (2009) and Pre-Delta (2008-2009) National Parks. Based on these results several management actions were implemented in Public Use areas: in the camping site and in a 10m buffer zone the vegetation was maintained at less than 10cm high, potential rodent shelters (vegetation remains and branches) were removed, and rodenticide was placed inside small cylinders to prevent consumption by non target species at two times of maximal rodent abundance. Additionally, a leaflet containing prevention information was developed and is provided to visitors to protected areas at risk. Until now, Akodon azarae is not considered host of the genotype that causes HPS, so no preventive measures were applied in Otamendi Natural Reserve.