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Bonwitt J, Sáez AM, Lamin J, Ansumana R, Dawson M, Buanie J, Lamin J, Sondufu D, Borchert M, Sahr F, Fichet-Calvet E, Brown H. At Home with Mastomys and Rattus: Human-Rodent Interactions and Potential for Primary Transmission of Lassa Virus in Domestic Spaces. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 96:935-943. [PMID: 28167603 PMCID: PMC5392645 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) is the reservoir for Lassa virus (LASV). Zoonotic transmission occurs when humans are directly or indirectly exposed to fluids of the multimammate mouse, such as urine, saliva, and blood. Housing characteristics and domestic organization affect rodent density in and around households and villages, and are likely to be a risk factor for Lassa fever in humans where the reservoir exists. We use semi-structured interviews (N = 51), a quantitative survey (N = 429), direct observations, and a rodent ecology study to provide new insights into how the organization of domestic spaces brings together humans and rodents and creates pathways for infection in rural settlements in Bo District, Sierra Leone. Rodents were frequently reported inside houses (92.4% of respondents), in which we predominantly trapped M. natalensis (57% of trapped rodents) and Rattus rattus (38% of trapped rodents). Building design and materials provide hiding and nesting places for rodents and lead to close proximity with humans. Patterns of contact are both unintentional and intentional and research participants reported high levels of contact with rodents (34.2% of respondents) and rodent fluids (52.8% of respondents). Rodents are also perceived as a serious threat to food security. These results present detailed knowledge about how humans live with and come into contact with rodents, including the LASV reservoir. Our results argue for further collaborative research in housing and environmental modification such as ceiling construction, food storage, and sanitation as prevention against zoonotic LASV transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Bonwitt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Almudena Mari Sáez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joseph Lamin
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | | | | | - Jacob Buanie
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Joyce Lamin
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Diana Sondufu
- Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory, Bo, Sierra Leone
| | - Matthias Borchert
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Foday Sahr
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | | | - Hannah Brown
- Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, Durham, United Kingdom
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