One Health Approach to Zoonotic Parasites: Molecular Detection of Intestinal Protozoans in an Urban Population of Norway Rats, Rattus norvegicus, in Barcelona, Spain
Rattus norvegicus, the brown or Norway rat, is the most abundant mammal after humans in urban areas, where they live in close proximity to people. Among rodent-borne diseases, the reservoir role of Norway rats of zoonotic parasites in cities has practically been ignored. Considering the parasitic diseases in the One Health approach, we intended to identify and quantify the zoonotic intestinal protozoans (ZIP) in an urban population of R. norvegicus in the city of Barcelona, Spain. We studied the presence of ZIP in 100 rats trapped in parks (n = 15) as well as in the city’s sewage system (n = 85) in the winter of 2016/17. The protozoans were molecularly identified by means of a multiplex PCR…
American cockroach control assays in the municipal sewerage system of Valencia (Spain)
ABSTRACT Several insecticides (including different active substances and formulations) were applied to sewer shafts to control Periplaneta americana (LINNAEUS, 1758) populations in Valencia (eastern Spain). Results show that the best products for cockroach control were the paints (with and without insecticide), which provided an optimal reduction of P. americana populations for up to three months (P < 0.001). Therefore, it is important to note that the reduction of cockroach populations as well as the persistence of the insecticide effect in sewers was similar in both types of paints. A product combining two pyrethroids (Tetramethrin and Alfacipermetrin) and piperonyl butoxide also gave …
The Constant Threat of Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Emerging Tropical Diseases: Living on the Edge
Estudio faunístico de los mosquitos (Díptera, Culicidae) de la comarca del Somontano de Barbastro y su posible relevancia en la difusión del paludismo
Se han capturado 1.106 ejemplares larvarios de culícidos pertenecientes a 12 especies en la Comarca del Somontano de Barbastro, de las cuales dos (Culex impudicus y Cx. territans) se citan por primera en la provincia de Huesca. Pese a que la especie más abundante fue Cx. pipiens, desde un punto de vista epidemiológico señalar la elevada presencia de mosquitos del género Anopheles, potenciales vectores de la malaria, en diversas regiones de la comarca. Especialmente relevante es la destacada densidad que presenta An. atroparvus, importante vector palúdico, en biotopos concretos de la región más meridional del área de estudio. Adicionalmente, también se han detectado especies muy antropofílic…
Trends in the Epidemiology of Leishmaniasis in the City of Barcelona (1996–2019)
Background: Leishmaniasis is a neglected zoonosis produced by 20 different flagellated parasites of the Leishmania genus, a protozoan transmitted to humans and other vertebrates by the bite of dipteran insects of the Phlebotominae subfamily. It is endemic in Mediterranean countries and the number of cases is expected to increase due to climate change and migration. Prioritizing public health interventions for prevention and control is essential. The objective was to characterize the epidemiology and temporal trends in the incidence of human leishmaniasis in the city of Barcelona, between the years 1996 and 2019. Methods: A population-based, analytical observational study among residents in …
Leishmaniasis in Norway Rats in Sewers, Barcelona, Spain.
We detected Leishmania infantum in 98 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped in parks and sewers of Barcelona, Spain. The 84 rats from the sewers showed a prevalence of 33.3% and up to 2,272 estimated parasites. These results, in the most abundant potential reservoir in cities, is of public health concern.
Classification of Spanish Mosquitoes in Functional Groups
Abstract We present a classification of Spanish mosquitoes according to their different life cycles. The bio-ecological parameters analyzed in our study were oviposition sites, overwintering stages, preferred hosts, and number of generations per year for each species. The results revealed 13 different functional groups. To assess the validity and robustness of the classification system, we analyzed the data from an intensive sampling carried out over a period of 4 years (2005–08) in eastern Spain. In this area, 9 of the 13 functional groups were found. The Jaccard cluster and the principal components analysis (between-group analysis method) revealed 3 different mosquito groups: the tree hol…
Global change and human vulnerability to vector-borne diseases
This e-book presents a collection of research and review articles related to the spread, control and basic understanding of vector borne diseases all over the world. It is well known that a multidisciplinary point of view is necessary in order to develop a global vision of this emergent problem. Therefore, in order to promote this holistic approach to the knowledge of vector borne diseases, this e-book contains a total of 19 collaborations of entomologists, epidemiologists, virologists, parasitologists, bacteriologists, zoologists and veterinarians of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. The title perfectly reflects some of the global factors that are behind the emergence and/or reemergence o…
First survey on zoonotic helminthosis in urban brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Spain and associated public health considerations.
Abstract The brown rat, Rattus norvegicus, with a worldwide distribution, is the most commensal species among synanthropic rodents, since its main habitat, in urban as well as in rural areas, is always linked to humans. Therefore, people living in close proximity to rodent populations can be exposed to infection. Whereas bacteria and viruses are the best known rat-associated zoonoses in urban environments, the role of brown rats as reservoirs for helminth parasites and the associated risk for humans are less well known. Specifically, this role has not been analyzed in Spain to date. A total of 100 R. norvegicus trapped in the sewage system (n = 85), and parks (n = 15) of Barcelona was exami…
From the Field to the Laboratory: Quantifying Outdoor Mosquito Landing Rate to Better Evaluate Topical Repellents.
Abstract Vector-borne diseases are a worldwide threat to human health. Often, no vaccines or treatments exist. Thus, personal protection products play an essential role in limiting transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) arm-in-cage (AIC) test is the most common method for evaluating the efficacy of topical repellents, but it remains unclear whether AIC testing conditions recreate the mosquito landing rates in the field. This study aimed to estimate the landing rate outdoors, in an area of Europe highly infested with the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894, Diptera: Culididae)), and to determine how to replicate this rate in the laboratory. To assess the landing ra…
Host-ectoparasite associations; the role of host traits, season and habitat on parasitism interactions of the rodents of northeastern Iran
Abstract Background Rodents play a significant role as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases. Nevertheless, their ectoparasite assemblage and host-ectoparasite associations are poorly known. This study intended to give new insights on the relationships between ectoparasites and rodents in northeastern Iran. Methods Rodents were captured using live traps during the year of 2016–2020 and their ectoparasites were collected. Parasitological indices such as infestation rate, prevalence and mean intensity of infestation were analyzed. Results A total of 284 rodents, belonging to 17 species, were trapped which infested by 178 ectoparasites from five orders Siphonaptera, Phthiraptera, Ixodida, Mesostigma…
Editorial: Zoonotic Diseases: Their Host and Vectors
Editorial: Emerging Zoonoses: Eco-Epidemiology, Involved Mechanisms, and Public Health Implications
Zoonoses are currently considered as one of the most important threats for Public Health worldwide. Zoonoses can be defined as any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate or invertebrate animals to humans and vice-versa. Approximately, 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin; approximately, 60% of all human pathogens are zoonotic. All types of potential pathogenic agents, including viruses, parasites, bacteria, and fungi, can cause these zoonotic infections. From the wide range of potential vectors of zoonoses, arthropods are probably those of major significance due to their abundance, high plasticity, adaptabi…
Modulation of La Crosse virus infection in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes following larval exposure to coffee extracts
This commentary highlights key points, basic ideas, and future outlooks presented by Eastep et al. (2012) in Frontiers in Physiology-Systems Biology. The authors have provided an interesting investigation about the successful use of an environmentally friendly product derived from plants as a larvicidal agent to control mosquito populations as well as a substance that could alter the vector competence of mosquitoes for arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Specifically Eastep and collaborators used coffee extracts (with and without caffeine) to try to answer two hypothesis: first, coffee extracts could have good results as a mosquitocidal compounds applied in larval biotopes and second, vi…
Two New Alternatives to the Conventional Arm-in-Cage Test for Assessing Topical Repellents
Abstract European guidelines for testing attractant and repellent efficacy (i.e., Product type 19 [PT19]) have been in revision since 2017. A key topic of discussion is the current approach to evaluating topical repellents. The European Chemical Agency has stated field testing should be avoided because of mosquito-borne disease risks. However, the most common laboratory method, the arm-in-cage (AIC) test, may limit the reliable extrapolation of lab results to field conditions. This study’s main goal was to assess alternative laboratory methods for evaluating topical mosquito repellents that use mosquito landing rates more representative of those in the field. The study took place at three E…