Abstract
BackgroundAnthropogenic habitat change often results in altered landscapes that can provide new environments where hosts, parasites and pathogens can interact. The latter can have implications for human and animal health when in close proximity to developed areas. We recorded the helminth species richness and level of infestation in the peri-domestic rodent, Rhabdomys pumilio, in three different human linked landscapes. The aim was, to investigate the potential of R. pumilio to act as a reservoir host for zoonotic helminths and to compare the effect of anthropogenic habitat change on its parasite infestation patterns.MethodsRodents (n = 518) were trapped in natural areas (nature reserves) and in three human linked landscapes (crop, livestock and urban fragments). Gastrointestinal parasite burdens were recovered and helminths identified from each animal. Generalized linear models were applied to investigate the effect of different landscape types on helminth infestation.ResultsRhabdomys pumilio was the most abundant rodent species within each landscape type. Eight helminths species were recovered and overall helminth prevalence was 86.68%. Mean helminth species richness, prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in crop fragments compared to natural landscapes and overall lower for nematodes in livestock and urban areas. Cestode prevalence showed a tendency to be elevated at anthropogenic linked landscape types.ConclusionsHost parameters and parasite infestations were strongly influenced by landscape characteristics. Resource-rich landscapes (crop fragments) provide favorable conditions for helminth infestations, while landscapes that are more closely associated with humans (livestock and urban landscapes) pose a larger risk by zoonotic species.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-393) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Anthropogenic habitat change often results in altered landscapes that can provide new environments where hosts, parasites and pathogens can interact
The small mammal species richness differed between the landscape types, R. pumilio was the most abundant rodent species at each
The total body length of R. pumilio individuals was significantly different between landscape types (ANOVA: F3, 514 = 7.312, p = 0.001; Figure 1) with longest individuals in crop fragments (20.98 ± 1.9 cm) and shortest animals at livestock fragments (19.95 ± 2.1 cm)
Summary
Anthropogenic habitat change often results in altered landscapes that can provide new environments where hosts, parasites and pathogens can interact. The latter can have implications for human and animal health when in close proximity to developed areas. The aim was, to investigate the potential of R. pumilio to act as a reservoir host for zoonotic helminths and to compare the effect of anthropogenic habitat change on its parasite infestation patterns. In 1979, the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Parasitic Zoonoses [7] already identified 17 nematodes, five cestodes and 12 trematodes as the cause of important human infections in which other vertebrate animal hosts play epidemiologically significant roles. Helminths have the capacity to regulate the abundance of wild animal populations [8] and communities [9] and may affect the functioning of ecosystems
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