Vet World Vol.17 November-2024 Article - 10
Research Article
Veterinary World, 17(11): 2506-2516
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.2506-2516
Occurrence of multiple infections of rodents with parasites and bacteria in the Sibang Arboretum, Libreville, Gabon
2. Unité de Recherche en Ecologie de la Santé, (URES/CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
3. Department of General Agronomy, Institut de Recherches Agronomique et Forestière (IRAF/CENAREST) BP 2246, Libreville, Gabon.
4. Department of Health and Environment, Université Libreville Nord, BP 1177 Libreville, Gabon.
5. Department of Anthropology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
Background and Aim: Rodents are carriers or reservoirs of various bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and ectoparasites. Given the proximity of various rodent species and humans, there is a potential for the transmission of pathogens. Data on ecto- and endo-parasite prevalence in rodent populations in Gabon are limited. To fill this gap, we conducted a study in Libreville to investigate the occurrence of ecto- and endo-parasites in rodents.
Materials and Methods: We captured and euthanized 68 rodents belonging to the genus Praomys and examined their ecto- and endo-parasite fauna, dissected their gastrointestinal tract for helminths, and prepared blood smears to examine blood-borne pathogens.
Results: Our analyses identified three pathogen taxa: helminths (Protospirura spp., Trichuris spp., and Taenia spp.), protozoa (Babesia spp.), bacteria (Anaplasma spp.), and arthropods (Laelaps and Haemaphysalis). Overall, 91.2% of the rodents were infected with at least one pathogen and ectoparasite, with helminth and ectoparasite occurrence rate of 63.2% and ectoparasite occurrence at 44.1%. Protozoan infections (Babesia spp.) were found in 10.3% of the rodents, whereas bacteria (Anaplasma spp.) had an occurrence rate of 39.7%.
Conclusion: Native rodents in Libreville harbor various infectious agents, ecto- and endo-parasites. These findings highlight the potential health risks associated with Praomys rodents for the transmission of various diseases to human population in Gabon and emphasize the need for investigation of rodents for their role as disease carriers.
Keywords: Anaplasma, Babesia, Gabon, Haemaphysalis, Helminths, Laelaps, Praomys.
How to cite this article: Makouloutou-Nzassi P, Nze-Nkogue C, Makanga BK, Longo-Pendy NM, Bourobou-Bourobou JA, Bikie-Bi-Nso BC, Akomo-Okoue EF, Mbazoghe-Engo CC, Bangueboussa F, Sevidzem SL, Ebang-Ella GW, Mangama-Koumba LB, Mindonga Nguelet FL, Mintsa-Nguema R, and Boundenga L (2024) Occurrence of multiple infections of rodents with parasites and bacteria in the Sibang Arboretum, Libreville, Gabon, Veterinary World, 17(11): 2506-2516.
Received: 2024-04-11 Accepted: 2024-10-04 Published online: 2024-11-13
Corresponding author: E-mail:
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2506-2516
Copyright: Makouloutou-Nzassi, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
