Departamento Fauna Terrestre, Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Neuquén (CEAN), Junín de los Andes, Neuquén, Argentina.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2011 Mar;11(3):315-24. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2009.0242. Epub 2011 Feb 18.
Modifications of natural habitat in peridomestic rural areas could affect original rodent community composition, diversity, and evenness. In zoonoses such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the presence of a diverse community can dilute the impact of the principal reservoir, reducing risk to humans. The goal of this study was to examine rodent community composition, abundance of Andes virus (ANDV) host (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus), ANDV prevalence, and temporal variability associated with rural peridomestic settings in Patagonia, Argentina. We trapped rodents in peridomestic settings and nearby sylvan areas for 2 years. The numerically dominant species differed between peridomestic and sylvan settings. O. longicaudatus was the most abundant species in peridomestic settings (>50% of individuals). Diversity and evenness in peridomestic settings fluctuated temporally, with an abrupt decline in evenness coinciding with peaks in ANDV prevalence. The probability of finding an ANDV-positive mouse in peridomestic settings was 2.44 times greater than in sylvan habitats. Changes in rodent communities in peridomestic settings may increase the probability for human exposure to ANDV because those settings promote the presence of O. longicaudatus with high ANDV antibody prevalence. High O. longicaudatus relative abundance in an unstable community associated with peridomestic settings may favor intraspecific contact, leading to a higher probability of virus transmission.
农村家庭周边自然生境的改变可能会影响原有的啮齿动物群落组成、多样性和均匀度。在汉坦病毒肺综合征等动物源传染病中，群落的多样性可以降低主要宿主的影响，从而降低人类感染的风险。本研究的目的是研究阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚农村家庭周边环境中啮齿动物群落组成、安第斯病毒（ANDV）宿主（长爪沙鼠）的丰度、ANDV 流行率及其与农村家庭周边环境的时间变化的关系。我们在家庭周边环境和附近的林地中用陷阱捕获啮齿动物，为期 2 年。数量上占优势的物种在家庭周边环境和林地中有所不同。长爪沙鼠是家庭周边环境中最丰富的物种（占个体的 50%以上）。家庭周边环境中的多样性和均匀度随时间波动，均匀度的突然下降与 ANDV 流行率的峰值一致。在家庭周边环境中发现 ANDV 阳性鼠的概率是在林地栖息地的 2.44 倍。家庭周边环境中啮齿动物群落的变化可能会增加人类接触 ANDV 的概率，因为这些环境促进了具有高 ANDV 抗体流行率的长爪沙鼠的存在。与家庭周边环境相关的不稳定群落中长爪沙鼠的相对丰度较高可能有利于种内接触，从而增加病毒传播的可能性。
