Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in urban rodents: a survey in Niamey, Niger

Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2013 Jun;108(4):399-407. doi: 10.1590/S0074-0276108042013002.

Abstract

A serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii was conducted on 766 domestic and peridomestic rodents from 46 trapping sites throughout the city of Niamey, Niger. A low seroprevalence was found over the whole town with only 1.96% of the rodents found seropositive. However, differences between species were important, ranging from less than 2% in truly commensal Mastomys natalensis, Rattus rattus and Mus musculus, while garden-associated Arvicanthis niloticus displayed 9.1% of seropositive individuals. This is in line with previous studies on tropical rodents--that we reviewed here--which altogether show that Toxoplasma seroprevalence in rodent is highly variable, depending on many factors such as locality and/or species. Moreover, although we were not able to decipher statistically between habitat or species effect, such a contrast between Nile grass rats and the other rodent species points towards a potentially important role of environmental toxoplasmic infection. This would deserve to be further scrutinised since intra-city irrigated cultures are extending in Niamey, thus potentially increasing Toxoplasma circulation in this yet semi-arid region. As far as we are aware of, our study is one of the rare surveys of its kind performed in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first one ever conducted in the Sahel.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Protozoan / blood*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Niger / epidemiology
  • Rats
  • Rodent Diseases / diagnosis
  • Rodent Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Rodentia
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Toxoplasma / immunology*
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / diagnosis
  • Toxoplasmosis, Animal / epidemiology*
  • Urban Population

Substances

  • Antibodies, Protozoan