Publications

diurnal, seasonal, and sex patterns of heart rate in grip-restrained african giant rats (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse).	this study was carried out to determine heart rate (hr) values, including diurnal, seasonal, and sex patterns, in the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse). hr was measured using stethoscope in grip-restrained african giant rats of either sex (103 bucks and 98 does), live-trapped from a tropical savannah, and caged individually in the laboratory during the harmattan (cold-dry), hot-dry, and rainy seasons over a 3-year period. the hr fluctuated between 90 and 210 beats per minute ( ...	2015	26471756
urban market gardening and rodent-borne pathogenic leptospira in arid zones: a case study in niamey, niger.	leptospirosis essentially affects human following contact with rodent urine-contaminated water. as such, it was mainly found associated with rice culture, recreational activities and flooding. this is also the reason why it has mainly been investigated in temperate as well as warm and humid regions, while arid zones have been only very occasionally monitored for this disease. in particular, data for west african countries are extremely scarce. here, we took advantage of an extensive survey of ur ...	2015	26437456
collection and utilization of animal carcasses associated with zoonotic disease in tshuapa district, the democratic republic of the congo, 2012.	the collection and consumption of animal carcasses is a common activity in forested areas of the congo river basin and creates sustainability, conservation, and health concerns. residents of the tshuapa district reported collecting the remains of 5,878 animals from >30 species when surveyed about their wildlife consumption habits. carcasses were discovered in varying degrees of decomposition and were often consumed at home or sold in local markets. the most commonly collected animals were cricet ...	2015	25932665
further assessment of monkeypox virus infection in gambian pouched rats (cricetomys gambianus) using in vivo bioluminescent imaging.	monkeypox is a zoonosis clinically similar to smallpox in humans. recent evidence has shown a potential risk of increased incidence in central africa. despite attempts to isolate the virus from wild rodents and other small mammals, no reservoir host has been identified. in 2003, monkeypox virus (mpxv) was accidentally introduced into the u.s. via the pet trade and was associated with the gambian pouched rat (cricetomys gambianus). therefore, we investigated the potential reservoir competence of ...	2015	26517839
histology and ultrastructure of the uterus of african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse) during oestrous cycle.	this study describes histology and ultrastructure of uterus in the african giant rat during oestrous cycle. endometrial histology displayed glandular mucosa consisting of lamina epithelialis and lamina propria mucosae. its epithelium varied between simple and pseudostratified columnar. the myometrium consisted of inner circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscles with medium sized arteries and veins in-between. the perimetrium contained simple squamous epithelium. endometrial ultrastructures w ...	2015	26339811
astrocyte morphology, heterogeneity, and density in the developing african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus).	astrocyte morphologies and heterogeneity were described in male african giant rats (agr; cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse) across three age groups (five neonates, five juveniles, and five adults) using silver impregnation method and immunohistochemistry against glial fibrillary acidic protein. immunopositive cell signaling, cell size and population were least in neonates, followed by adults and juveniles, respectively. in neonates, astrocyte processes were mostly detected within the glia limitan ...	2015	26074782
giant african pouched rats (cricetomys gambianus) that work on tilled soil accurately detect land mines.	pouched rats were employed as mine-detection animals in a quality-control application where they searched for mines in areas previously processed by a mechanical tiller. the rats located 58 mines and fragments in this 28,050-m(2) area with a false indication rate of 0.4 responses per 100 m(2) . humans with metal detectors found no mines that were not located by the rats. these findings indicate that pouched rats can accurately detect land mines in disturbed soil and suggest that they can play mu ...	2015	25962550
spinal cord studies in the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse).	the african giant rat, agr, is known for advantageous behavioural patterns among which are cognition and dexterous locomotion. this study investigated the morphological, morphometric and possible functional aspects of the agr spinal cord (sc) anatomy. ten adult (5 males and 5 females) agr were used to determine the gross and histological features of the sc which were typically of rodent features. the mean sc weight and length given as 2.50±0.24g and 15.87±0.24cm respectively for the male and 2.3 ...	2015	27506167
training pouched rats to find people.	giant african pouched rats equipped with video cameras may be a tenable option for locating living humans trapped under debris from collapsed structures. in the present study, 5 pouched rats were trained to contact human targets in a simulated collapsed building and to return to the release point after hearing a signal to do so. during test sessions, each rat located human targets more often than it located similar-sized inanimate targets on which it had not previously been trained and spent mor ...	2015	25451685
human monkeypox: current state of knowledge and implications for the future.	the zoonosis human monkeypox (mpx) was discovered in 1970, twelve years after the discovery of monkeypox virus (mpxv) in a danish laboratory in 1958. historically confined to west africa (wa) and the congo basin (cb), new epidemics in sudan and the united states of america (usa) have fuelled new research highlighting environmental factors contributing to the expanded geographical spread of monkeypox virus (mpxv). a systematic literature review was conducted in medline® (ovid), medline® (pubmed) ...	2016	30270859
effects of schedules of reinforcement on pouched rats' performance in urban search-and-rescue training.	standard operating procedures have been developed to train cricetomys to locate humans in collapsed structures and return to the release point on command. the present study demonstrated that the schedule of reinforcement for target location influences the rats' performance. rats required more time to locate targets when no reinforcement was arranged for target location but less time to return to the release point. these findings suggest that training conditions should be based on the priority as ...	2016	26567926
rodent-borne trypanosoma from cities and villages of niger and nigeria: a special role for the invasive genus rattus?	although they are known to sometimes infect humans, atypical trypanosomes are very poorly documented, especially in africa where one lethal case has yet been described. here we conducted a survey of rodent-borne trypanosoma in 19 towns and villages of niger and nigeria, with a special emphasis on niamey, the capital city of niger. the 1,298 rodents that were captured yielded 189 qpcr-positive animals from 14 localities, thus corresponding to a 14.6% overall prevalence. rats, especially black rat ...	2017	28373037
morphological characterization of the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse) brain across age groups: gross features of cortices.	this experiment was designed to investigate the morphological characterization of the brain cortices of african giant rats, agr (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse) across age groups as related to function. a total of 15 male agr were used for this study comprising of 5 neonates, 5 juveniles and 5 adults. brains were described as having typical rodent features; the falx cerebri, the dura modification of interest, was partly inserted between the lobes of the olfactory bulb and extended towards the ...	2017	28262849
prevalence of hepatozoon and sarcocystis spp. in rodents and their ectoparasites in nigeria.	using polymerase chain reaction targeting the 18s rrna gene and dna sequencing the prevalence and diversity of apicomplexa and piroplasmida infections in rodents from nigeria was studied. overall, 13 of 194 (7.7%) rodent blood samples tested were positive for hepatozoon spp. while 2 (1.0%) were positive for sarcocystis dispersa. hepatozoon spp. dna was detected in all the rodentspecies tested except neotoma spp., and was most prevalent (50%) in the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus), follo ...	2018	30071191
intraperitoneal sodium metavanadate exposure induced severe clinicopathological alterations, hepato-renal toxicity and cytogenotoxicity in african giant rats (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse, 1840).	pollution of environment due to increased exploitation of minerals has been on the rise, and vanadium, a metal in the first transition series essential for mammalian existence, is a major component of air pollution. this study investigated the clinico-pathological, hepato-renal toxicity, and cytogenotoxicity of intraperitoneal exposure of african giant rats (agrs), a proposed model for ecotoxicological research to sodium metavanadate. a total of 27 adult male african giant rats weighing 975 ± 54 ...	2018	29981023
oligodendrocyte morphology in the developing brain of the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse): histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.	oligodendrocyte and myelin-related studies have been pivotal in understanding disruption of central nervous system (cns) myelin through injury, toxicological, pathological degeneration or genetic intervention. the african giant rat (agr) has been postulated as an indigenous wild-type model within the african context. this work thus describes oligodendrocyte morphologies and myelin components of the developing african giant rat brain using histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural tec ...	2018	29492996
oxidative stress changes observed in selected organs of african giant rats (cricetomys gambianus) exposed to sodium metavanadate.	vanadium is a contaminant of crude oil that released into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels. the mechanism by which it exerts toxic influences had not been fully elucidated in african giant rat (agr). this study investigates the mechanisms of sodium metavanadate (smv) induced oxidative stress in agr. a total of 24 adult male agr weighing 600-850 g were used. animals were randomly divided into six groups. groups 1, 3 and 5 served as control while groups 2, 4 and 6 were treated with i ...	2018	30255083
cytoarchitecture of the hippocampal formation in the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse).	the african giant rat, agr is an indigenous nocturnal rodent noted for its unique olfactory and cognitive abilities. they have been deployed more recently in the detection of landmines and diagnosis of tuberculosis - two scourges that have had a tremendous negative impact on the african landscape. this olfactory-aided cognition has been linked to the hippocampus. while the anatomical infrastructure of the olfactory bulb of the agr has been elucidated, little is known about the adaptive cytoarchi ...	2019	31449272
anatomical and scanning electron microscopic study of the tongue in the african giant pouched rats (cricetomys gambianus, waterhouse).	the african giant pouched rat is a nocturnal, fossorial and omnivorous wild rodent widely distributed in sub-saharan africa. the morphology of lingual surface has not previously examined and was investigated by gross dissection, stereomicroscopy, scanning electron and light microscopy. grossly, it was elongated and dorso-ventrally flattened with rounded tip. it measured 3.48 ± 0.33 cm in length, with a median groove of 1.4 ± 0.1 cm in length and well-developed lingual prominence. stereomicroscop ...	2019	31348554
asymptomatic orthopoxvirus circulation in humans in the wake of a monkeypox outbreak among chimpanzees in cameroon.	monkeypox virus is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus (opxv) that causes smallpox-like illness in humans. in cameroon, human monkeypox cases were confirmed in 2018, and outbreaks in captive chimpanzees occurred in 2014 and 2016. we investigated the opxv serological status among staff at a primate sanctuary (where the 2016 chimpanzee outbreak occurred) and residents from nearby villages, and describe contact with possible monkeypox reservoirs. we focused specifically on gambian rats (cricetomys spp.) becau ...	2020	31769389
morphology of the spinal nerves from the cervical segments of the spinal cord of the african giant rat (cricetomys gambianus).	this study provides detailed description of the gross morphology and distribution of the nerves arising from the cervical segments of the spinal cord of the african giant rat (agr). two (2) agrs were used for this study. the rats were euthanized using halothane. the skin and superficial fascia were removed, and dissection of the muscles in the cervical region and thoracic limbs was carried out. the vertebral canal was opened by means of a rongeur. eight (8) pairs of spinal nerves (c1-c8) arose f ...	2020	33146431
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
comparative morphometric analysis of lungs of the semifossorial giant pouched rat (cricetomys gambianus) and the subterranean nigerian mole rat (cryptomys foxi).	lungs of the rodent species, the african giant pouched rat (cricetomys gambianus) and the nigerian mole rat (cryptomys foxi) were investigated. significant morphometric differences exist between the two species. the volume of the lung per unit body mass was 2.7 times larger; the respiratory surface area 3.4 times greater; the volume of the pulmonary capillary blood 2 times more; the harmonic mean thickness of the blood-gas (tissue) barrier (τht) ~29% thinner and; the total pulmonary morphometric ...	2020	32251351