Abstract:
Rats, being synanthropic, are hosts to agents of zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to human and domestic animal health. The nematode parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis, commonly known as the rat lungworm, is no exception; it can cause potentially fatal neural disease in humans, dogs and other species. The distribution of A. cantonensis (haplotypes SYD.1 and Ac13) and its close relative, Angiostrongylus mackerrasae is not well understood in Australia. We investigated the prevalence of Angiostrongylus in rats in Sydney, Australia, primarily via faecal qPCR, and identified the species and haplotypes using partial cox1 sequencing. We found a moderate prevalence of infection (29%; 95% CI: 16.1-46.6%) in black (Rattus rattus) and brown (Rattus norvegicus) rats around public parks and residential areas. This study demonstrates that Sydney\'s urban rat population is a reservoir for A. cantonensis. Modelling infection status as a function of rat species, sex, tibia length (as a proxy for age), and health index (a measure of weight by size) revealed that older rats are statistically more likely to be infected (χ 2 1 = 5.331, P = 0.021). We observed a dominant presence of the A. cantonensis SYD.1 haplotype, for which the implications are not yet known. No A. mackerassae was detected, leading us to suspect it may have a more restricted host- and geographical range. Overall, this study illustrates the presence and potential risk of A. cantonensis infection in Sydney. Public education regarding transmission routes and preventative measures is crucial to safeguard human and animal health.
摘要:
老鼠,同人,是对人类和家畜健康构成威胁的人畜共患疾病的宿主。线虫寄生虫广州管圆线虫,通常被称为鼠肺虫,也不例外;它可以导致人类潜在的致命神经疾病,狗和其他物种。A.cantonensis(单倍型SYD.1和Ac13)的分布及其近亲,在澳大利亚,管圆线虫还没有得到很好的理解。我们调查了悉尼大鼠中管圆线虫的患病率,澳大利亚,主要通过粪便qPCR,并使用部分cox1测序鉴定了物种和单倍型。我们发现公园和居民区周围的黑色(Rattusrattus)和棕色(Rattusnorvegicus)大鼠的感染率中等(29%;95%CI:16.1-46.6%)。这项研究表明,悉尼的城市老鼠种群是广东的水库。将感染状态建模为大鼠物种的功能,性别,胫骨长度(作为年龄的代表),和健康指数(按体重衡量)显示,年龄较大的大鼠在统计学上更容易被感染(χ21=5.331,P=0.021)。我们观察到A.cantonensisSYD.1单倍型的显性存在,其影响尚不清楚。没有检测到A.mackerassae,导致我们怀疑它可能有一个更受限制的主机和地理范围。总的来说,这项研究说明了在悉尼,广州曲霉感染的存在和潜在的风险。关于传播途径和预防措施的公共教育对于保障人类和动物健康至关重要。