Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.

Several rodent-associated Bartonella species are human pathogens but little is known about their epidemiology. We trapped rodents and shrews around human habitations at two sites in Kenya (rural Asembo and urban Kibera) to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infection. Bartonella were detected by...

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Main Authors: Jo E B Halliday, Darryn L Knobel, Bernard Agwanda, Ying Bai, Robert F Breiman, Sarah Cleaveland, M Kariuki Njenga, Michael Kosoy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-03-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4362764?pdf=render
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author Jo E B Halliday
Darryn L Knobel
Bernard Agwanda
Ying Bai
Robert F Breiman
Sarah Cleaveland
M Kariuki Njenga
Michael Kosoy
author_facet Jo E B Halliday
Darryn L Knobel
Bernard Agwanda
Ying Bai
Robert F Breiman
Sarah Cleaveland
M Kariuki Njenga
Michael Kosoy
author_sort Jo E B Halliday
collection DOAJ
description Several rodent-associated Bartonella species are human pathogens but little is known about their epidemiology. We trapped rodents and shrews around human habitations at two sites in Kenya (rural Asembo and urban Kibera) to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infection. Bartonella were detected by culture in five of seven host species. In Kibera, 60% of Rattus rattus were positive, as compared to 13% in Asembo. Bartonella were also detected in C. olivieri (7%), Lemniscomys striatus (50%), Mastomys natalensis (43%) and R. norvegicus (50%). Partial sequencing of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of isolates showed that Kibera strains were similar to reference isolates from Rattus trapped in Asia, America, and Europe, but that most strains from Asembo were less similar. Host species and trapping location were associated with differences in infection status but there was no evidence of associations between host age or sex and infection status. Acute febrile illness occurs at high incidence in both Asembo and Kibera but the etiology of many of these illnesses is unknown. Bartonella similar to known human pathogens were detected in small mammals at both sites and investigation of the ecological determinants of host infection status and of the public health significance of Bartonella infections at these locations is warranted.
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spelling doaj.art-9829543bf5dd48b5adf26c100f7c5ecb2022-12-22T00:13:42ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352015-03-0193e000360810.1371/journal.pntd.0003608Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.Jo E B HallidayDarryn L KnobelBernard AgwandaYing BaiRobert F BreimanSarah CleavelandM Kariuki NjengaMichael KosoySeveral rodent-associated Bartonella species are human pathogens but little is known about their epidemiology. We trapped rodents and shrews around human habitations at two sites in Kenya (rural Asembo and urban Kibera) to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infection. Bartonella were detected by culture in five of seven host species. In Kibera, 60% of Rattus rattus were positive, as compared to 13% in Asembo. Bartonella were also detected in C. olivieri (7%), Lemniscomys striatus (50%), Mastomys natalensis (43%) and R. norvegicus (50%). Partial sequencing of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene of isolates showed that Kibera strains were similar to reference isolates from Rattus trapped in Asia, America, and Europe, but that most strains from Asembo were less similar. Host species and trapping location were associated with differences in infection status but there was no evidence of associations between host age or sex and infection status. Acute febrile illness occurs at high incidence in both Asembo and Kibera but the etiology of many of these illnesses is unknown. Bartonella similar to known human pathogens were detected in small mammals at both sites and investigation of the ecological determinants of host infection status and of the public health significance of Bartonella infections at these locations is warranted.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4362764?pdf=render
spellingShingle Jo E B Halliday
Darryn L Knobel
Bernard Agwanda
Ying Bai
Robert F Breiman
Sarah Cleaveland
M Kariuki Njenga
Michael Kosoy
Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
title_full Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
title_fullStr Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
title_short Prevalence and diversity of small mammal-associated Bartonella species in rural and urban Kenya.
title_sort prevalence and diversity of small mammal associated bartonella species in rural and urban kenya
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4362764?pdf=render
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