Resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in Martinique could lead to inefficient rodent control in a context of endemic leptospirosis

Aurélie Marquez,Virginie Lattard,Georges Jaffory,Armand Rosine,Gérard Thalmensi,Angeli Kodjo,Adrien Pinot,Teddy Ovarbury,Isabelle Fourel,Rami Abi Khalil,Etienne Benoit

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-49661-5

Abstract

Leptospirosis is a re-emergent worldwide zoonosis. It is endemic in Martinique where transmission conditions are favourable. Humans are usually infected through contact with water contaminated with urine of rodents. Recent human leptospirosis outbreaks in Martinique require today effective rodent management to prevent leptospirosis transmission. Nowadays, use of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) is the main method implemented to control rodent populations. Nevertheless, intensive use of these AR has selected worldwide many VKORC1-based resistant rodent strains to AR. Our aim was to characterize the sensitivity of Martinique commensal rodents to AR to better prevent leptospirosis transmission. Resistance of house mice to first-generation and in rare cases even to second-generation ARs were clearly demonstrated in Martinique with the detection of the Y139C mutation with a very high allelic frequency of 40% and the A26T/Y139C double-mutation with an allelic frequency of 0.9%. In black rat, the most prevalent rodent in Martinique, 3 new Vkorc1 coding mutations were detected, the H68N, A115T and S149N mutations associated with moderate resistance to first generation AR. Therefore, rodent management in Martinique must be carried carefully to avoid resistance diffusion and maintain long-term effective rodent management, to be able to efficiently prevent leptospirosis transmission.

Highlights

Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease, is one among the foremost widespread zoonoses within the world[1,2]
Vitamin K is useful as a cofactor of the gamma -glutamyl carboxylase enzyme that activates coagulation factors II, VII, IX and X by gamma-carboxylation
This study is the first study reporting rodent resistance to Anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) in Martinique. This finding is crucial to improve their management in this island where leptospirosis is an endemic disease[9]

Summary

Introduction

Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease, is one among the foremost widespread zoonoses within the world[1,2] This disease has been reported to affect on more or less one million persons worldwide every year[3] and may be accompanied by different clinical symptoms ranging from a flu-like syndrome with a moderate fever to a multi-organ failure[4,5,6] which can lead to death[7]. Use of anticoagulant rodenticides ARs is the main method implemented to control rodent populations. They provoke bleeding by the inhibition of the vitamin K epoxide reductase enzyme (VKORC1). Because second generation ARs are persistent in rodent tissues and related to secondary exposure or poisoning of non-target wildlife, their use should be cautious and sometimes, in some countries, limited to professionals and/or after failure of a first-generation AR treatment and/ or if resistance is demonstrated

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Conclusion