title: Ecological surveillance of small mammals at Dagmar North Training Area, Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea, 2001-2005.
abstract: A seasonal rodent-borne disease surveillance program was established at Dagmar North Training Area located near the demilitarized zone, Republic of Korea, from 2001 through 2005. Selected habitats surveyed included earthen banks separating rice paddies, fighting positions along a 5 m rock-faced earthen berm, and extensive tall grasses with various degrees of herbaceous and scrub vegetation associated with dirt roads, rice paddies, ditches, ponds, or the Imjin River. Of the nine species of small mammals captured, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), the primary reservoir for Hantaan virus, was the most frequently collected, representing 92.5% of the 1,848 small mammals captured. Males were captured similarly to females during the spring and summer seasons but were captured less frequently during the fall and winter seasons. Gravid rates were highest in the fall (25.5-57.3%) with the lowest rates during the summer (0.0-2.2%). Capture rates were the lowest along earthen banks separating rice paddies (5.5%) and highest in unmanaged tall grasses and crawling vegetation (15.3-43.5%). An increased knowledge of ecological factors that impact the abundance and distribution of small mammals and the associated ectoparasites and pathogens they harbor is critical for developing accurate disease risk assessments and mitigation strategies for preventing vector- and rodent-borne diseases among soldiers training in field environments.
authors.affiliation: 5th Medical Detachment, 168th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, 65th Medical Brigade, Unit 15247, APO AP 96205-5247, USA.
authors.forename: Heung Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Terry A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Hae Ji
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Se Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Sung Sil
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Luck Ju
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Sung Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: O'Guinn
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Turell
authors.forename: Jin-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals; D051379:Mice; D051189:Murinae; D051381:Rats; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012376:Rodent Diseases