Reservoir displacement by an invasive rodent reduces Lassa virus zoonotic spillover risk.
Nat Commun
; 15(1): 3589, 2024 Apr 27.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38678025
ABSTRACT
The black rat (Rattus rattus) is a globally invasive species that has been widely introduced across Africa. Within its invasive range in West Africa, R. rattus may compete with the native rodent Mastomys natalensis, the primary reservoir host of Lassa virus, a zoonotic pathogen that kills thousands annually. Here, we use rodent trapping data from Sierra Leone and Guinea to show that R. rattus presence reduces M. natalensis density within the human dwellings where Lassa virus exposure is most likely to occur. Further, we integrate infection data from M. natalensis to demonstrate that Lassa virus zoonotic spillover risk is lower at sites with R. rattus. While non-native species can have numerous negative effects on ecosystems, our results suggest that R. rattus invasion has the indirect benefit of decreasing zoonotic spillover of an endemic pathogen, with important implications for invasive species control across West Africa.
Texto completo:
1
Bases de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Reservorios de Enfermedades
/
Zoonosis
/
Murinae
/
Especies Introducidas
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Fiebre de Lassa
/
Virus Lassa
Límite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Commun
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos