Effects of land use, habitat characteristics, and small mammal community composition on Leptospira prevalence in northeast Madagascar.

Autor: Herrera JP; Duke Lemur Center SAVA Conservation, Durham North Carolina, United States of America.; Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham North Carolina, United States of America., Wickenkamp NR; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham North Carolina, United States of America., Turpin M; Unité Mixte de Recherche Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical-UMR PIMIT (Université de la Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM 1187, IRD 249), Sainte-Clotilde, Réunion Island, France., Baudino F; Unité Mixte de Recherche Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical-UMR PIMIT (Université de la Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM 1187, IRD 249), Sainte-Clotilde, Réunion Island, France., Tortosa P; Unité Mixte de Recherche Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical-UMR PIMIT (Université de la Réunion, CNRS 9192, INSERM 1187, IRD 249), Sainte-Clotilde, Réunion Island, France., Goodman SM; Association Vahatra, Madagascar.; Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America., Soarimalala V; Association Vahatra, Madagascar., Ranaivoson TN; Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Domaine des Sciences et Technologie, Université d'Antananarivo, Madagascar., Nunn CL; Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham North Carolina, United States of America.; Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham North Carolina, United States of America.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: PLoS neglected tropical diseases [PLoS Negl Trop Dis] 2020 Dec 31; Vol. 14 (12), pp. e0008946. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Dec 31 (Print Publication: 2020).
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008946
Abstrakt: Human activities can increase or decrease risks of acquiring a zoonotic disease, notably by affecting the composition and abundance of hosts. This study investigated the links between land use and infectious disease risk in northeast Madagascar, where human subsistence activities and population growth are encroaching on native habitats and the associated biota. We collected new data on pathogenic Leptospira, which are bacteria maintained in small mammal reservoirs. Transmission can occur through close contact, but most frequently through indirect contact with water contaminated by the urine of infected hosts. The probability of infection and prevalence was compared across a gradient of natural moist evergreen forest, nearby forest fragments, flooded rice and other types of agricultural fields, and in homes in a rural village. Using these data, we tested specific hypotheses for how land use alters ecological communities and influences disease transmission. The relative abundance and proportion of exotic species was highest in the anthropogenic habitats, while the relative abundance of native species was highest in the forested habitats. Prevalence of Leptospira was significantly higher in introduced compared to endemic species. Lastly, the probability of infection with Leptospira was highest in introduced small mammal species, and lower in forest fragments compared to other habitat types. Our results highlight how human land use affects the small mammal community composition and in turn disease dynamics. Introduced species likely transmit Leptospira to native species where they co-occur, and may displace the Leptospira species naturally occurring in Madagascar. The frequent spatial overlap of people and introduced species likely also has consequences for public health.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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