Global Health and Biosecurity Unit, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
Projet des fièvres Hémorragiques en Guinée, Laboratoire de Virologie, Conakry, Guinea.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2018 Nov 6;12(11):e0006829. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006829. eCollection 2018 Nov.
Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by an arenavirus. The disease is endemic in West African countries, including Guinea. The rodents Mastomys natalensis and Mastomys erythroleucus have been identified as Lassa virus reservoirs in Guinea. In the absence of a vaccine, rodent control and human behavioural changes are the only options to prevent Lassa fever in highly endemic areas. We performed a 4 year intervention based on chemical rodent control, utilizing anticoagulant rodenticides in 3 villages and evaluating the rodent abundance before and after treatment. Three additional villages were investigated as controls. Analyses to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, bait consumption and rodent dynamics were performed. Anthropological investigations accompanied the intervention to integrate local understandings of human-rodent cohabitation and rodent control intervention. Patterns of bait consumption showed a peak at days 5-7 and no consumption at days 28-30. There was no difference between Bromadiolone and Difenacoum bait consumption. The main rodent species found in the houses was M. natalensis. The abundance of M. natalensis, as measured by the trapping success, varied between 3.6 and 16.7% before treatment and decreased significantly to 1-2% after treatment. Individuals in treated villages welcomed the intervention and trapping because mice are generally regarded as a nuisance. Immediate benefits from controlling rodents included protection of food and belongings. Before the intervention, local awareness of Lassa fever was non-existent. Despite their appreciation for the intervention, local individuals noted its limits and the need for complementary actions. Our results demonstrate that chemical treatment provides an effective tool to control local rodent populations and can serve as part of an effective, holistic approach combining rodent trapping, use of local rodenticides, environmental hygiene, house repairs and rodent-proof storage. These actions should be developed in collaboration with local stakeholders and communities.
拉沙热是一种由沙粒病毒引起的病毒性出血热。该病在包括几内亚在内的西非国家流行。在几内亚，冈比亚巨鼠和红尾滨鼠已被确定为拉沙病毒的宿主。由于没有疫苗，在高度流行地区，控制啮齿动物和改变人类行为是预防拉沙热的唯一选择。我们在 4 年内进行了一项干预措施，基于化学灭鼠，在 3 个村庄使用抗凝血灭鼠剂，并在治疗前后评估啮齿动物的丰度。另外 3 个村庄作为对照进行了调查。进行了分析以评估干预措施的效果、诱饵消耗和啮齿动物动态。人类-啮齿动物共存和啮齿动物控制干预的地方理解的人类学调查伴随着干预措施进行。诱饵消耗模式显示出在第 5-7 天达到峰值，在第 28-30 天没有消耗。溴敌隆和敌鼠酮诱饵消耗没有差异。在房屋中发现的主要啮齿动物是冈比亚巨鼠。用诱捕成功率衡量的冈比亚巨鼠丰度在治疗前为 3.6-16.7%，治疗后显著下降至 1-2%。接受治疗的村庄的居民对干预和诱捕表示欢迎，因为老鼠通常被认为是一种滋扰。控制啮齿动物的直接好处包括保护食物和财物。在干预之前，当地对拉沙热的认识为零。尽管他们对干预措施表示赞赏，但当地居民注意到其局限性以及需要采取补充行动。我们的结果表明，化学处理提供了一种有效控制当地啮齿动物种群的工具，可以作为一种有效的、整体的方法的一部分，该方法结合了啮齿动物诱捕、使用当地灭鼠剂、环境卫生、房屋维修和防鼠储存。这些行动应与当地利益攸关方和社区合作开展。
