rodent abundance dynamics and leptospirosis carriage in an area of hyper-endemicity in new caledonia啮齿动物丰度动力学和钩端螺旋体病马车在新喀里多尼亚hyper-endemicity的一个领域.pdfVIP

Rodent Abundance Dynamics and Leptospirosis Carriage in an Area of Hyper-Endemicity in New Caledonia 1 2 ´ ˆ 1 1 1 Julie Perez , Fabrice Brescia , Jerome Becam , Carine Mauron , Cyrille Goarant * ´ ´ ´ ´ 1 Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Caledonie, Reseau International des Instituts Pasteur, Laboratoire de Recherche en Bacteriologie, Noumea, New Caledonia, 2 Institut ´ ´ ´ ` Agronomique neo-Caledonien, Diversites Biologique et Fonctionnelle des Ecosystemes, Port Laguerre, Paita, New Caledonia Abstract Background: Widespread but particularly incident in the tropics, leptospirosis is transmitted to humans directly or indirectly by virtually any Mammal species. However, rodents are recognized as the most important reservoir. In endemic regions, seasonal outbreaks are observed during hot rainy periods. In such regions, hot spots can be evidenced, where leptospirosis is ‘‘hyper-endemic’’, its incidence reaching 500 annual cases per 100,000. A better knowledge of how rodent populations and their Leptospira prevalence respond to seasonal and meteorological fluctuations might help implement relevant control measures. Methodology/Principal Findings: In two tribes in New Caledonia with hyper-endemic leptospirosis, rodent abundance and Leptospira prevalence was studied twice a year, in hot and cool seasons for two consecutive years. Highly contrasted meteorological situations, particularly rainfall intensities, were noted between the two hot seasons studied. Our results show that during a hot and rainy period, both the r