Bromadiolone susceptibility in wild and laboratory Mus musculus L.(house mice) in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

We found evidence of the presence of anticoagulant resistant M. musculus L. in the study area. Feeding behaviour may have contributed to increasing the time of survival, and may be a mechanism that allows metabolic clearance of the bromadiolone. Under field conditions control with anticoagulants would be less effective because animals have alternative food.

Consumption Pattern of Bromadiolone in Presence of Alternative Food by House Mice (Mus musculus) Infesting Poultry Farms

“…However, the different consumption strategies of males and females did not seem to have any effect on survival rates under these experimental conditions, since both sexes showed similar survival curves when fed bromadiolone and wheat baits simultaneously. Other authors, who offered only bromadiolone to rodents, did not find any differences in survival times of males and females either (Guidobono et al, 2010). In contrast, in another study, it was found that females were less susceptible than males to the effects of anticoagulants (Ashton et al, 1987).…”

“…On the other hand, it may also move from other farms, probably using riparian habitats as corridors (León et al, , 2013. More recently, a study on bromadiolone resistance reported that 8% of M. musculus from these farms were resistant (Guidobono et al, 2010).…”

“…Guidobono et al (2010) proposed that the feeding behaviour of M. musculus may have contributed to increase its survival time by a mechanism that potentially allows the metabolic clearance of bromadiolone in M. musculus populations present on the farms (Guidobono et al, 2010). The authors suggested that, under rural conditions, the field control program with anticoagulants is less effective than in captivity because there are alternative foods available, which may be preferred to bromadiolone baits.…”

“…Based on the results of Guidobono et al (2010), the presented study analysed, under experimental conditions, the consumption pattern of bromadiolone in the presence of an alternative food by wild M. musculus individuals that infest poultry farms where bromadiolone is applied periodically. This consumption behaviour was compared with that of laboratory mice of the CF-1 strain not previously exposed to bromadiolone.…”

“…The damages it causes in rural areas, particularly on livestock and poultry farms, include the consumption and contamination of food, structural damage to building components and equipment, production loss, and spread of diseases and ectoparasites (Berry, 1970;Brooks & Lynwood, 1978;Timm, 1987;Pratt, 1991). On poultry farms of Central Argentina, M. musculus usually achieve worrying densities, and nearly 100% of the farms continue to be infested, despite the regular application of the anticoagulant rodenticide bromadiolone (Guidobono et al, 2010). Gómez Villafañe et al (2001) suggested that strategies for controlling rodents based solely on chemical methods are not sufficient to effectively control rodents on poultry farms.…”