Mbou-Boutambe Clark, Boundenga Larson, Degrugillier Fanny, Gauthier Philippe, Arnathau Céline, Rivero Ana, Granjon Laurent, Rougeron Virginie, Prugnolle Franck
Unité de Recherche en Écologie de La Santé (URES), Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, BP 769, Gabon.
École Doctorale Régionale D'Afrique Centrale en Infectiologie Tropicale (EDR), Franceville, BP 876, Gabon.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2025 Jul 5;27:101112. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101112. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Invasive species are increasingly recognized for their role in reshaping host-parasite dynamics. This study reports the first molecular detection of in the invasive black rat () in Gabon, based on a systematic molecular screening of 527 rodents captured in rural villages between 2021 and 2022. Two individuals tested positive for , with phylogenetic analysis confirming identity with strains previously isolated from native rodents in the region. These findings challenge the traditional view that rodent malaria parasites are restricted to native hosts and highlight as a potential, albeit likely incidental, host within local transmission networks. Despite a low infection prevalence (0.38 %), this result raises important questions about the capacity of invasive rodents to integrate into local parasite cycles and influence disease dynamics.
入侵物种在重塑宿主 - 寄生虫动态方面的作用日益受到认可。本研究基于对2021年至2022年期间在农村村庄捕获的527只啮齿动物进行的系统分子筛查，报告了在加蓬入侵黑鼠（）中首次进行的分子检测。两只个体检测出呈阳性，系统发育分析证实其与该地区先前从本地啮齿动物中分离出的菌株具有同一性。这些发现挑战了啮齿动物疟原虫仅限于本地宿主的传统观点，并突出了作为当地传播网络中潜在的（尽管可能是偶然的）宿主。尽管感染率较低（0.38%），但这一结果引发了关于入侵啮齿动物融入当地寄生虫循环并影响疾病动态能力的重要问题。
