Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted ascending) Filter |
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| understanding the cryptic nature of lassa fever in west africa. | lassa fever (lf) is increasingly recognized by global health institutions as an important rodent-borne disease with severe impacts on some of west africa's poorest communities. however, our knowledge of lf ecology, epidemiology and distribution is limited, which presents barriers to both short-term disease forecasting and prediction of long-term impacts of environmental change on lassa virus (lasv) zoonotic transmission dynamics. here, we synthesize current knowledge to show that extrapolations ... | 2017 | 28875769 |
| diagnosis and genetic analysis of the worldwide distributed rattus-borne trypanosoma (herpetosoma) lewisi and its allied species in blood and fleas of rodents. | trypanosoma (herpetosoma) lewisi is a cosmopolitan parasite of rodents strongly linked to the human dispersal of rattus spp. from asia to the rest of the world. this species is highly phylogenetically related to trypanosomes from other rodents (t. lewisi-like), and sporadically infects other mammals. t. lewisi may opportunistically infect humans, and has been considered an emergent rat-borne zoonosis associated to poverty. we developed the thecatl-pcr based on cathepsin l (catl) sequences to spe ... | 2017 | 28882517 |
| comparative non-metric and morphometric analyses of rats at residential halls of the university of benin campus, nigeria. | in mammals and across rat species, the variation in conformation is markedly observed in the head and the variation in the shape of the head is mostly determined by the shape of the skull. hence comparative topographic analysis and morphometry is a veritable tool in precise categorization of peri-domestic rats and species identification. | 2017 | 28967498 |
| the interplay of uv and cutaneous papillomavirus infection in skin cancer development. | cutaneous human papillomaviruses (hpvs) are considered as cofactors for non-melanoma skin cancer (nmsc) development, especially in association with uvb. extensively studied transgenic mouse models failed to mimic all aspects of virus-host interactions starting from primary infection to the appearance of a tumor. using the natural model mastomys coucha, which reflects the human situation in many aspects, we provide the first evidence that only uvb and mastomys natalensis papillomavirus (mnpv) inf ... | 2017 | 29190285 |
| the shape of the contact-density function matters when modelling parasite transmission in fluctuating populations. | models of disease transmission in a population with changing densities must assume a relation between infectious contacts and density. typically, a choice is made between a constant (frequency-dependence) and a linear (density-dependence) contact-density function, but it is becoming increasingly clear that intermediate, nonlinear functions are more realistic. it is currently not clear, however, what the exact consequences would be of different contact-density functions in fluctuating populations ... | 2017 | 29291115 |
| effect of synthetic hormones on reproduction in mastomys natalensis. | rodent pest management traditionally relies on some form of lethal control. developing effective fertility control for pest rodent species could be a major breakthrough particularly in the context of managing rodent population outbreaks. this laboratory-based study is the first to report on the effects of using fertility compounds on an outbreaking rodent pest species found throughout sub-saharan africa. mastomys natalensis were fed bait containing the synthetic steroid hormones quinestrol and l ... | 2018 | 29367841 |
| arenavirus infection correlates with lower survival of its natural rodent host in a long-term capture-mark-recapture study. | parasite evolution is hypothesized to select for levels of parasite virulence that maximise transmission success. when host population densities fluctuate, low levels of virulence with limited impact on the host are expected, as this should increase the likelihood of surviving periods of low host density. we examined the effects of morogoro arenavirus on the survival and recapture probability of multimammate mice (mastomys natalensis) using a seven-year capture-mark-recapture time series. mastom ... | 2018 | 29422075 |
| neural damage in experimental trypanosoma brucei gambiense infection: the suprachiasmatic nucleus. | trypanosoma brucei (t. b.) gambiense is the parasite subspecies responsible for most reported cases of human african trypanosomiasis (hat) or sleeping sickness. this severe infection leads to characteristic disruption of the sleep-wake cycle, recalling attention on the circadian timing system. most animal models of the disease have been hitherto based on infection of laboratory rodents with the t. b. brucei subspecies, which is not infectious to humans. in these animal models, functional, rather ... | 2018 | 29491832 |
| endoparasites of small mammals in edo state, nigeria: public health implications. | some small mammals occur as household pests and harbour a number of parasites that could be of public health importance. this study profiled the helminth and protozoan parasites in trapped small mammals within and around human dwelling places (houses) located across 4 major towns (auchi, benin, ekpoma, and uromi) and environs in edo state, nigeria. six genera (apodemus sp., crocidura sp., mastomys natalensis, mus musculus, rattus sp., and sorex sp.) were identified from 502 trapped small mammals ... | 2018 | 29529857 |
| movement patterns of small rodents in lassa fever-endemic villages in guinea. | the natal multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of lassa arenavirus, the etiological agent of lassa fever in humans. because there exists no vaccine for human use, rodent control and adjusting human behavior are currently considered to be the only options for lassa fever control. in order to develop efficient rodent control programs, more information about the host's ecology is needed. in this study, we investigated the spatial behavior of m. natalensis and other small r ... | 2018 | 29572697 |
| widespread arenavirus occurrence and seroprevalence in small mammals, nigeria. | lassa fever, killing thousands of people annually, is the most reported viral zoonotic disease in nigeria. recently, different rodent species carrying diverse lineages of the lassa virus (lasv) in addition to a novel mobala-like genetic sequence were detected within the country. here, screening 906 small mammal specimens from 11 localities for igg antibodies and incorporating previous pcr detection data involving the same populations, we further describe arenavirus prevalence across nigeria in r ... | 2018 | 30005641 |
| seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii in commensal rodents sampled across senegal, west africa. | risks related to toxoplasma gondii infection in humans remain poorly known in senegal. although rodent surveys could help to assess the circulation of t. gondii, they have seldom been set up in sub-saharan africa. the aim of this study was to examine toxoplasma seroprevalence in rodents from villages and towns across senegal. rodents were sampled in 40 localities using a standardised trapping protocol. detection of t. gondii antibodies was performed on 1205 rodents, using a modified agglutinatio ... | 2018 | 30016257 |
| identification and characterization of orientia chuto in trombiculid chigger mites collected from wild rodents in kenya. | we present data that concurs with the reported geographical expansion of scrub typhus outside the "tsutsugamushi triangle" and addition of orientia chuto as a second species in the orientia genus. wild rodents were caught in marigat, baringo county, kenya, and ectoparasites, including chiggers, were recovered. rodent and chigger species were identified by taxonomic features. dna was extracted from the chiggers and used to amplify and/or sequence the 47-kda high temperature transmembrane protein ... | 2018 | 30282787 |
| does exploratory behavior or activity in a wild mouse explain susceptibility to virus infection? | exploration and activity are often described as trade-offs between the fitness benefits of gathering information and resources, and the potential costs of increasing exposure to predators and parasites. more exploratory individuals are predicted to have higher rates of parasitism, but this relationship has rarely been examined for virus infections in wild populations. here, we used the multimammate mouse mastomys natalensis to investigate the relationship between exploration, activity, and infec ... | 2018 | 30323837 |
| rodent control to fight lassa fever: evaluation and lessons learned from a 4-year study in upper guinea. | 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 ... | 2018 | 30399142 |
| host competence of african rodents arvicanthis neumanni, a. niloticus and mastomys natalensis for leishmania major. | cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by leishmania major is a typical zoonosis circulating in rodents. in sub-saharan africa the reservoirs remain to be identified, although l. major has been detected in several rodent species including members of the genera arvicanthis and mastomys. however, differentiation of true reservoir hosts from incidental hosts requires in-depth studies both in the field and in the laboratory, with the best method for testing the infectiousness of hosts to biting vectors bein ... | 2019 | 30740304 |
| lassa virus diversity and feasibility for universal prophylactic vaccine. | lassa virus (lasv) is a highly prevalent mammarenavirus in west africa and is maintained in nature in a persistently infected rodent host, mastomys natalensis, which is widely spread in sub-saharan africa. lasv infection of humans can cause lassa fever (lf), a disease associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. recent evidence indicates an lasv expansion outside its traditional endemic areas. in 2017, the world health organization (who) included lasv in top-priority pathogens and r ... | 2019 | 30774934 |
| diagnostics for lassa fever virus: a genetically diverse pathogen found in low-resource settings. | lassa fever virus (lasv) causes acute viral haemorrhagic fever with symptoms similar to those seen with ebola virus infections. lasv is endemic to west africa and is transmitted through contact with excretions of infected mastomys natalensis rodents and other rodent species. due to a high fatality rate, lack of treatment options and difficulties with prevention and control, lasv is one of the high-priority pathogens included in the who r&d blueprint. the who lasv vaccine strategy relies on avail ... | 2019 | 30899575 |
| evaluation of rodent control to fight lassa fever based on field data and mathematical modelling. | the natal multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of lassa virus, an arenavirus that causes lassa haemorrhagic fever in humans in west africa. because no vaccine exists and therapeutic options are limited, preventing infection through rodent control and human behavioural measures is currently considered to be the only option. in order to assess the efficacy of rodent control, we performed a 4-year field experiment in rural upper guinea and developed a mathematical model to ... | 2019 | 31007139 |
| vaccine platforms for the prevention of lassa fever. | lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by lassa virus (lasv), which is endemic throughout much of west africa. the virus primarily circulates in the mastomys natalensis reservoir and is transmitted to humans through contact with infectious rodents or their secretions; human-to-human transmission is documented as well. with the exception of dengue fever, lasv has the highest human impact of any haemorrhagic fever virus. on-going outbreaks in nigeria have resulted in unprecedent ... | 2019 | 31026485 |
| development and evaluation of a one-step quantitative rt-pcr assay for detection of lassa virus. | lassa fever is a severe viral hemorrhagic illness caused by lassa virus. based on estimates, the number of lasv infections ranges from 300,000 to 500,000 cases in endemic areas with a fatality rate of 1%. development of fast and sensitive tools for the control and prevention of lassa virus infection as well as for clinical diagnostics of lassa fever are crucial. here we reported development and evaluation of a one-step quantitative rt-qpcr assay for the lassa virus detection - lasv-fl. this assa ... | 2019 | 31170468 |
| species composition and community structure of small pest rodents (muridae) in cultivated and fallow fields in maize-growing areas in mayuge district, eastern uganda. | pest rodents remain key biotic constraints to cereal crops production in the east african region where they occur, especially in seasons of outbreaks. despite that, uganda has scant information on rodents as crop pests to guide effective management strategies.a capture-mark-recapture (cmr) technique was employed to study the ecology of small rodents, specifically to establish the species composition and community structure in a maize-based agro ecosystem. trapping of small rodents was conducted ... | 2019 | 31346445 |
| density dependence and persistence of morogoro arenavirus transmission in a fluctuating population of its reservoir host. | a key aim in wildlife disease ecology is to understand how host and parasite characteristics influence parasite transmission and persistence. variation in host population density can have strong impacts on transmission and outbreaks, and theory predicts particular transmission-density patterns depending on how parasites are transmitted between individuals. here, we present the results of a study on the dynamics of morogoro arenavirus in a population of multimammate mice (mastomys natalensis). th ... | 2020 | 31545505 |
| molecular detection and genetic characterization of bartonella species from rodents and their associated ectoparasites from northern tanzania. | bartonellae are intracellular bacteria, which can cause persistent bacteraemia in humans and a variety of animals. several rodent-associated bartonella species are human pathogens but data on their global distribution and epidemiology are limited. the aims of the study were to: 1) determine the prevalence of bartonella infection in rodents and fleas; 2) identify risk factors for bartonella infection in rodents; and 3) characterize the bartonella genotypes present in these rodent and flea populat ... | 2019 | 31613914 |
| relationship between population density and viral infection: a role for personality? | conspecific density and animal personality (consistent among-individual differences in behavior) may both play an important role in disease ecology. nevertheless, both factors have rarely been studied together but may provide insightful information in understanding pathogen transmission dynamics. in this study, we investigated how both personality and density affect viral infections both direct and indirectly, using the multimammate mice (mastomys natalensis) and morogoro arenavirus (morv) as a ... | 2019 | 31624546 |
| detection of possible spillover of a novel hantavirus in a natal mastomys from guinea. | to date, only two rodent-borne hantaviruses have been detected in sub-saharan africa. here, we report the detection of a yet unknown hantavirus in a natal mastomys (mastomys natalensis) in méliandou, guinea, in 2014. the phylogenetic placement of this virus suggests that it might represent a cross-order spillover event from an unknown bat or eulipotyphlan host. | 2020 | 31654295 |
| host competency of the multimammate rat mastomys natalensis demonstrated by prolonged spirochetemias with the african relapsing fever spirochete borrelia crocidurae. | african multimammate rats, mastomys natalensis, are widely distributed in sub-saharan africa and live in close association with humans. in west africa, numerous field studies have shown these animals may be naturally infected with the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia crocidurae, the primary cause of tick-borne relapsing fever in this region of the continent. however, naturally infected individual rats have never been examined over time; therefore, the true host competency of these rats for th ... | 2019 | 31674298 |
| host competence of the african rodents arvicanthis neumanni, a. niloticus and mastomys natalensis for leishmania donovani from ethiopia and l. (mundinia) sp. from ghana. | visceral leishmaniasis caused by leishmania donovani is regarded as mostly anthroponotic, but a role for animal reservoir hosts in transmission has been suggested in east africa. field studies in this region have shown the presence of this parasite in several mammalian species, including rodents of the genera arvicanthis and mastomys. further, the natural reservoirs of leishmania (mundinia) sp. causing human cutaneous disease in ghana, west africa, are unknown. this study assessed the potential ... | 2020 | 31879594 |
| households as hotspots of lassa fever? assessing the spatial distribution of lassa virus-infected rodents in rural villages of guinea. | the natal multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir host of lassa virus (lasv), an arenavirus that causes lassa haemorrhagic fever in humans in west africa. while previous studies suggest that spillover risk is focal within rural villages due to the spatial behaviour of the rodents, the level of clustering was never specifically assessed. nevertheless, detailed information on the spatial distribution of infected rodents would be highly valuable to optimize lasv-control campaigns, ... | 2020 | 32459576 |
| mastomys natalensis, cricetomys gambianus and taterillus sp. were found pcr positive for leishmania major in burkina faso, west africa. | ouagadougou, the capital city of burkina faso, was recognized as a focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniosis in april 2000. leishmania major was the only strain isolated in this focus. we conducted a prospective study to detect l. major in rodents, animals which are described as reservoir of the parasite. rodents were caught in five city areas from november 2005 to october 2006. giemsa stained smears were realized from the cutaneous lesions when present after macroscopic examination of external ... | 2020 | 32592548 |
| expression of different l1 isoforms of mastomys natalensis papillomavirus as mechanism to circumvent adaptive immunity. | although many high-risk mucosal and cutaneous human papillomaviruses (hpvs) theoretically have the potential to synthesize l1 isoforms differing in length, previous seroepidemiological studies only focused on the short l1 variants, co-assembling with l2 to infectious virions. using the multimammate mouse mastomys coucha as preclinical model, this is the first study demonstrating seroconversion against different l1 isoforms during the natural course of papillomavirus infection. intriguingly, posi ... | 2020 | 32746966 |
| multiple dna viruses identified in multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis) populations from across regions of sub-saharan africa. | the multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis; m. natalensis) serves as the main reservoir for the zoonotic arenavirus lassa virus (lasv), and this has led to considerable investigation into the distribution of lasv and other related arenaviruses in this host species. in contrast to the situation with arenaviruses, the presence of other viruses in m. natalensis remains largely unexplored. in this study, herpesviruses and polyomaviruses were identified and partially characterized by pcr methods, se ... | 2020 | 32754877 |
| bayesian estimation of lassa virus epidemiological parameters: implications for spillover prevention using wildlife vaccination. | lassa virus is a significant burden on human health throughout its endemic region in west africa, with most human infections the result of spillover from the primary rodent reservoir of the virus, the natal multimammate mouse, m. natalensis. here we develop a bayesian methodology for estimating epidemiological parameters of lassa virus within its rodent reservoir and for generating probabilistic predictions for the efficacy of rodent vaccination programs. our approach uses approximate bayesian c ... | 2020 | 32956349 |
| life history and habitat do not mediate temporal changes in body size due to climate warming in rodents. | temporal changes in body size have been documented in a number of vertebrate species, with different contested drivers being suggested to explain these changes. among these are climate warming, resource availability, competition, predation risk, human population density, island effects and others. both life history traits (intrinsic factors such as lifespan and reproductive rate) and habitat (extrinsic factors such as vegetation type, latitude and elevation) are expected to mediate the existence ... | 2020 | 33024624 |
| three arenaviruses in three subspecific natal multimammate mouse taxa in tanzania: same host specificity, but different spatial genetic structure? | mastomys natalensis is widespread in sub-saharan africa and hosts several arenavirus species, including the pathogenic zoonotic lassa virus in west africa. mitochondrial lineages sub-divide the range of m. natalensis and have been associated with cryptic structure within the species. to test specificity of arenaviruses to hosts carrying these lineages, we screened 1772 m. natalensis in a large area of tanzania where three mitochondrial lineages meet. we detected fifty-two individuals that were p ... | 2020 | 33033629 |
| lassa virus circulation in small mammal populations in bo district, sierra leone. | lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by the lassa virus lasv, which was first isolated in the rodent mastomys natalensis in 1974 in kenema, sierra leone. as little is known about the abundance and the presence of lasv in rodents living in the bo area, we carried out a small mammal longitudinal population survey. a standardized trapping session was performed in various habitats and seasons in six villages over two years (2014-2016) and samples collected were tested for arenavirus igg a ... | 2021 | 33466234 |
| hematology and clinical chemistry reference ranges for laboratory-bred natal multimammate mice (mastomys natalensis). | laboratory-controlled physiological data for the multimammate rat (mastomys natalensis) are scarce, despite this species being a known reservoir and vector for zoonotic viruses, including the highly pathogenic lassa virus, as well as other arenaviruses and many species of bacteria. for this reason, m. natalensis is an important rodent for the study of host-virus interactions within laboratory settings. herein, we provide basic blood parameters for age- and sex-distributed animals in regards to b ... | 2021 | 33513733 |
| mastomys natalensis is a possible natural rodent reservoir for encephalomyocarditis virus. | encephalomyocarditis virus (emcv) infects a wide range of hosts and can cause encephalitis, myocarditis, reproductive disorders and diabetes mellitus in selected mammalian species. as for humans, emcv infection seems to occur by the contact with animals and can cause febrile illnesses in some infected patients. here we isolated emcv strain zm12/14 from a natal multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis: m. natalensis) in zambia. pairwise sequence similarity of the zm12/14 p1 region consisting of an ... | 2021 | 33533710 |
| ecology of lassa virus. | individuals living in endemic hotspots of lassa fever have recurrent exposure to lassa virus (lasv) via spillover from the primary host reservoir mastomys natalensis. despite m. natalensis being broadly distributed across sub-saharan africa, lassa fever is only found in west africa. in recent years, new lasv reservoirs have been identified. erudition of rodent habitats, reproduction and fecundity, movement patterns, and spatial preferences are essential to institute preventative measures against ... | 2021 | 33564902 |
| hunting and consumption of rodents by children in the lassa fever endemic area of faranah, guinea. | as a consequence of the ebola outbreak, human-animal contact has gained importance for zoonotic transmission surveillance. in faranah (upper guinea), daily life is intertwined with rodents, such as the natal multimammate mouse, mastomys natalensis; a reservoir for lassa virus (lasv). however, this contact is rarely perceived as a health risk by residents, although lassa fever (lf) is known to be endemic to this region. conversely, these observations remain a great concern for global health agend ... | 2021 | 33730025 |
| establishment of a genetically confirmed breeding colony of mastomys natalensis from wild-caught founders from west africa. | mastomys natalensis are a ubiquitous and often dominant rodent across sub-saharan africa. importantly, they are a natural reservoir for microbial pathogens including lassa virus (lasv), the etiological agent of lassa fever in humans. lassa-infected rodents have been documented across west africa and coincide with regions where annual outbreaks occur. zoonotic transmission to humans most often occurs directly from infected rodents. little is known about lasv infection kinetics and transmissibilit ... | 2021 | 33807214 |
| epidemiology of lassa fever. | lassa fever (lf) is a lethal hemorrhagic disease primarily concentrated in the tropical savannah regions of nigeria and the mano river union countries of sierra leone, liberia, and guinea. endemic hotspots within these countries have had recurrent exposure to lassa virus (lasv) via continual spillover from the host reservoir mastomys natalensis. increased trade and travel throughout the region have spread the virus to previously unexposed countries, including ghana, benin, mali, and côte d'ivoir ... | 2021 | 33861373 |
| mastomys natalensis has a cellular immune response profile distinct from laboratory mice. | the multimammate mouse (mastomys natalensis; m. natalensis) has been identified as a major reservoir for multiple human pathogens including lassa virus (lasv), leishmania spp., yersinia spp., and borrelia spp. although m. natalensis are related to well-characterized mouse and rat species commonly used in laboratory models, there is an absence of established assays and reagents to study the host immune responses of m. natalensis. as a result, there are major limitations to our understanding of im ... | 2021 | 33922222 |
| experimental morogoro virus infection in its natural host, mastomys natalensis. | natural hosts of most arenaviruses are rodents. the human-pathogenic lassa virus and several non-pathogenic arenaviruses such as morogoro virus (morv) share the same host species, namely mastomys natalensis (m. natalensis). in this study, we investigated the history of infection and virus transmission within the natural host population. to this end, we infected m. natalensis at different ages with morv and measured the health status of the animals, virus load in blood and organs, the development ... | 2021 | 34067011 |
| multiple mammarenaviruses circulating in angolan rodents. | rodents are a speciose group of mammals with strong zoonotic potential. some parts of africa are still underexplored for the occurrence of rodent-borne pathogens, despite this high potential. angola is at the convergence of three major biogeographical regions of sub-saharan africa, each harbouring a specific rodent community. this rodent-rich area is, therefore, strategic for studying the diversity and evolution of rodent-borne viruses. in this study we examined 290 small mammals, almost all rod ... | 2021 | 34070551 |