Institute of Integrative Biology, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
CHICAS, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Epidemics. 2018 Dec;25:26-34. doi: 10.1016/j.epidem.2018.05.002. Epub 2018 May 5.
Leptospirosis is a zoonosis that humans can contract via contact with animal reservoirs directly or with water contaminated with their urine. The primary reservoir of pathogenic leptospires within urban slum environments is the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). Motivated by the annual outbreaks of human leptospirosis in slum urban settings, the within population infection dynamics of the Norway rat were investigated in Pau da Lima, an community in Salvador, Brazil. A mechanistic model of the dynamics of leptospire infection was informed by extensive field and laboratory data was developed and explored analytically. To identify the intraspecific transmission route of most importance, a global sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number to its components was performed. In addition, different methods of rodent control were investigated by calculating target reproduction numbers. Our results suggest environmental transmission plays an important role in the maintenance of infection in the rodent population. To control numbers of wild Norway rats, combinations of controls are recommended but environmental control should also be investigated to reduce prevalence of infection in rats.
钩端螺旋体病是一种人畜共患疾病，人类可以通过直接接触动物宿主或接触被其尿液污染的水而感染。在城市贫民窟环境中，致病性钩端螺旋体的主要宿主是挪威鼠（Rattus norvegicus）。受贫民窟城市环境中人类钩端螺旋体病每年爆发的影响，对巴西萨尔瓦多 Pau da Lima 的挪威鼠种群内感染动态进行了研究。利用广泛的现场和实验室数据，为钩端螺旋体感染的动力学开发了一个机制模型，并进行了分析。为了确定最重要的种内传播途径，对基本繁殖数对其组成部分的全局敏感性分析进行了分析。此外，通过计算目标繁殖数，还研究了不同的啮齿动物控制方法。研究结果表明，环境传播在啮齿动物种群感染的维持中起着重要作用。为了控制野生挪威鼠的数量，建议采用组合控制，但也应研究环境控制以降低鼠类感染的流行率。
