Organismal and Evolutionary Biology research program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Science Communication & Society, Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Euro Surveill. 2024 Oct;29(40). doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.40.2400031.
BackgroundBrown rats () are synanthropic rodents with worldwide distribution, which are known to harbour many zoonotic pathogens and parasites. No systematic zoonotic surveys targeting multiple pathogens and parasites have previously been conducted in urban rats in Finland.AimIn Helsinki, Finland, we explored the presence and prevalence in brown rats of certain pathogens and parasites (including helminths, viruses and bacteria) across potentially zoonotic taxa.MethodsWe opportunistically received rat carcasses from pest management operators and citizens from 2018 to 2023. We searched for heart- or lungworms, performed rat diaphragm digestion to check for and morphologically identified intestinal helminths. We assessed virus exposure by immunofluorescence assay or PCR, and detected bacteria by PCR () or culture ().ResultsAmong the rats investigated for helminths, no heart- or lungworms or species were detected and the most common finding was the cestode (in 9.7% of individuals sampled, 28/288). For some of the surveyed virus taxa, several rats were seropositive (orthopoxviruses, 5.2%, 11/211; arenaviruses, 2.8%, 6/211; hantaviruses 5.2%, 11/211) or tested positive by PCR (rat hepatitis E virus, 1.8%, 4/216). (6.6%, 17/259) and (1.2%, 2/163) bacteria were also present in the rat population examined.ConclusionsPrevalences of potentially zoonotic pathogens and parasites in brown rats in Helsinki appeared low. This may explain low or non-existent diagnosis levels of rat-borne pathogen and parasite infections reported in people there. Nevertheless, further assessment of under-diagnosis, which cannot be excluded, would enhance understanding the risks of zoonoses.
褐家鼠（）是一种具有世界性分布的群居啮齿动物，已知其携带许多人畜共患病病原体和寄生虫。以前芬兰没有针对城市褐家鼠的多种病原体和寄生虫的系统人畜共患病调查。
在芬兰赫尔辛基，我们探索了褐家鼠中某些病原体和寄生虫（包括蠕虫、病毒和细菌）在潜在的人畜共患病分类群中的存在和流行情况。
我们于 2018 年至 2023 年从害虫管理运营商和市民那里偶然收到了鼠尸。我们搜索了心丝虫或肺丝虫，进行了大鼠膈肌消化检查以检查旋毛虫，并通过免疫荧光测定或 PCR 评估病毒暴露情况，通过 PCR（）或培养（）检测细菌。
在所调查的寄生虫中，未发现心丝虫或肺丝虫或旋毛虫种，最常见的发现是绦虫（在抽样的 288 个人中占 9.7%，28/288）。对于一些调查的病毒分类群，一些大鼠呈血清阳性（正痘病毒，5.2%，11/211；沙粒病毒，2.8%，6/211；汉坦病毒，5.2%，11/211）或通过 PCR 检测呈阳性（大鼠戊型肝炎病毒，1.8%，4/216）。还存在于所检查的大鼠种群中的细菌（6.6%，17/259）和（1.2%，2/163）。
赫尔辛基褐家鼠中潜在人畜共患病病原体和寄生虫的流行率似乎较低。这可能解释了那里报告的鼠类携带的病原体和寄生虫感染的诊断水平较低或不存在。然而，进一步评估不可排除的漏诊情况，将有助于了解人畜共患病的风险。
