title: Rats as indicators of the presence and dispersal of six zoonotic microbial agents in Cyprus, an island ecosystem: a seroepidemiological study.
abstract: A total of 622 rats (402 Rattus norvegicus and 220 R. rattus frugivorus) were collected in 51 different areas in Cyprus during 2000-2003 and used as indicators of the presence and dispersal of six zoonotic microbial agents. IgG antibodies against Rickettsia typhi (241/496, 48.6%), R. conorii (209/500, 41.8%), Toxoplasma sp. (138/494, 27.9%), Coxiella burnetti (63/494, 12.8%), Bartonella henselae (52/494, 10.5%) and Leishmania infantum (36/494, 7.3%) were detected by indirect immunofluorescence test. There was variation in the association between the seropositivity of the six microbial agents and other factors. Rat species affected R. typhi and R. conorii seropositivity, the prefecture where the rats were caught affected R. typhi, C. burnetii, B. henselae, T. gondii and L. infantum, the sampling season impacted on R. typhi, R. conorii, T. gondii and L. infantum, and the flea species affected R. typhi, R. conorii and B. henselae. These results were analysed using geographical information system (GIS) technology and the seropositivity in rats against the pathogens tested appeared to follow the occurrence of these pathogens in humans. This suggests that rats could be used as disease sentinels and, together with GIS technology, they could be a useful tool for the identification of endemic foci and high-risk areas for each pathogen.
authors.affiliation: University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete 71409, Greece. annapsa@med.uoc.gr
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Psaroulaki
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: Paulos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toumazos
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazeris
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.forename: Dimosthenis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chochlakis
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Christophi
authors.forename: Pheidias
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loukaides
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patsias
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moschandrea
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tselentis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000276:immunology; D003535:Cyprus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D020114:Rickettsia conorii / Q000276:immunology; D012286:Rickettsia typhi / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan