title: Leptospirosis risk increases with changes in species composition of rat populations.
abstract: Rats are major reservoirs of leptospirosis and considered as a main threat to biodiversity. A recent introduction of Rattus rattus to the island of Futuna (Western Polynesia) provided the opportunity to test if a possible change in species composition of rat populations would increase the risk of leptospirosis to humans. We trapped rodents on Wallis and Futuna and assessed Leptospira carriage in 357 rodents (Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus, Rattus exulans, and Mus domesticus) from 2008 to 2012. While Leptospira prevalence in rodents and the composition of rat populations on Futuna fluctuated with rainfall, the biomass of Leptospira-carrying rodents has been continuously rising from 2008 to 2012. Our results suggest that the introduction of R. rattus increases the risk to humans being infected with leptospirosis by rats.
authors.affiliation: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland. jtheuer@miiz.eu
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theuerkauf
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Alefosio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taugamoa
authors.forename: Iasinito
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Niutoua
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labrousse
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gula
authors.forename: Wieslaw
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bogdanowicz
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jourdan
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goarant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D006801:Humans; D007919:Leptospira / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D051379:Mice; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011891:Rain; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*
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