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Page 28
J Parasit Dis Diagn Ther 2017 | Volume 2 Issue 4
allied
academies
International Conference on
Zoology, Microbiology & Medical Parasitology
October 30-November 01, 2017 | Chicago, USA
Notes:
Statement of the Problem:
Animal movement resulting from
intentional or unintentional human activity can introduce
pathogens into new geographic areas. The objective of this
study focuses on introduction of zoonotic agents via invasive rat
species (
Rattus norvegicus
and
R. rattus
) to theUS seaports from
other continents. The bacterial zoonotic pathogens associated
with commensal rats include several species of
Bartonella
.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation:
To conduct the
proposed study, rat blood, tissue and ectoparasite samples
were collected in Thailand, Vietnam, Madagascar, and several
cities in the USA and Canada. Bacteria were cultured on
agar supplemented with rabbit blood.
Bartonella
spp. were
identified by sequence analysis of amplified fragments of 3-5
house-keeping genes.
Findings:
The investigations have demonstrated that rats harbor
Bartonella
spp., most of which are clustered into a defined
phylogenetic lineage that can be sub-divided further into a
number of sub-clusters. This groupwas definedas
B. elizabethae
species complex. In Thailand,
Bartonella
was cultured from rats
of eight
Rattus
spp. and the strains belonged to >20 genetic
variants. Some of these
Bartonella
spp. were also identified in
the USA seaports. The genetic diversity of
Bartonella
spp. found
in rats in the US cities was significantly lower than in Asia where
these species are highly prevalent and extremely diverse.
Conclusion & Significance:
The data suggest that some
Bartonella
spp., being evolutionary and ecologically associated
with rats of the genus
Rattus
, have been dispersed from Asia to
seaports around the globe where these bacteria have become
established among domestic rats. The finding of
Bartonella
spp.
in a high proportion of rats from around the globe suggests the
need to investigate whether these agents might be responsible
for cases of human pathology, especially in countries where
Bartonella
-infected rats arrive from Asian seaports.
Speaker Biography
Michael Kosoy is a Research Biologist and the Chief of Bartonella & Rodent-Borne
Diseases Laboratory at the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). He is the author or co-author of >150 publications
in area of ecology, evolution, zoology, microbiology, and epidemiology of infectious
diseases. He has worked for many years in the area of ecology and epidemiology
of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases. His international activities included, but not
limited to P.R. China, Thailand, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Georgia (Caucasus), Japan,
Israel, Russia, Kosovo, Kenya, D.R. Congo, Peru, and Guatemala. His main research
interests include disease ecology, evolution of pathogens, wildlife diseases, One Health
movement, bioethics, and transdisciplinarity.
e:
mck3@cdc.govMichael Kosoy
Fort Collins, USA
Movement ecology of rats of the genus
Rattus
and global distribution of rat-
associated
Bartonella species