Rodent-borne diseases and their public health importance in Iran

Abstract

BackgroundRodents are reservoirs and hosts for several zoonotic diseases such as plague, leptospirosis, and leishmaniasis. Rapid development of industry and agriculture, as well as climate change throughout the globe, has led to change or increase in occurrence of rodent-borne diseases. Considering the distribution of rodents throughout Iran, the aim of this review is to assess the risk of rodent-borne diseases in Iran.Methodology/Principal findingWe searched Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran databases up to September 2016 to obtain articles reporting occurrence of rodent-borne diseases in Iran and extract information from them. Out of 70 known rodent-borne diseases, 34 were reported in Iran: 17 (50%) parasitic diseases, 13 (38%) bacterial diseases, and 4 (12%) viral diseases. Twenty-one out of 34 diseases were reported from both humans and rodents. Among the diseases reported in the rodents of Iran, plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent. The most infected rodents were Rattus norvegicus (16 diseases), Mus musculus (14 diseases), Rattus rattus (13 diseases), Meriones persicus (7 diseases), Apodemus spp. (5 diseases), Tatera indica (4 diseases), Meriones libycus (3 diseases), Rhombomys opimus (3 diseases), Cricetulus migratorius (3 diseases), and Nesokia indica (2 diseases).Conclusions/SignificanceThe results of this review indicate the importance of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Considering notable diversity of rodents and their extensive distribution throughout the country, it is crucial to pay more attention to their role in spreading infectious diseases for better control of the diseases.

Synanthropic rodents as virus reservoirs and transmitters

“…In production animals, prevalence rates may be higher than 90% in adults 103 . For humans, two vaccines are authorized by the WHO: (a) Rotarix® (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium, an attenuated strain of G1P [8] RVA) and (b) RotaTeq® (Merck & Co., Whitehouse Station, NJ, with five strains of genotypes G1P [5], G2P [5], G3P [5], G4P [5] and G6P [8]).…”

“…These animals are natural reservoirs of infectious diseases 5,6 , and are involved in the emergence and dissemination of viruses, bacteria, and protozoa. The transmission of these agents can occur through both direct (bite, contact) and indirect (urine, feces) means, through vectors (ticks, fleas, and mites) that infest rodents, or when they are predated by other species 1,7,8 .…”

Impact of Environmental and Climate Factors on Spatial Distribution of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Iran: Utilizing Remote Sensing

“…More than 20,000 cases of CL are reported annually in Iran, but the actual cases are estimated to be 4 to 5 times more than that figure (7,8). Iran's geographic and climatic conditions are suitable for the growth of sand flies as vectors of ZCL, and rodents as reservoirs of disease (3,9). This zoonotic disease is more prevalent in plain regions in central areas of Iran; such as Qom province (10) and in the old texture of the towns (11,12).…”

Serosurvey and molecular detection of the main zoonotic parasites carried by commensal Rattus norvegicus populations in Tehran, Iran

“…Many of these zoonotic parasites including Leishmania spp, Giardia spp, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Cryptosporidium spp are assumed to be endemic in Rattus norvegicus populations around the world [8,9,10,11]. Currently, approximately seventy-nine species of rodents have been recognized in Iran; among these previously identified rodents, Rattus norvegicus have shown greater frequency in the urban area and occupied widespread habitats in cities [12]. Although it has been proven that these rats have a potential role in the transmission of a large number of zoonotic parasites, the prevalence and diversity of parasites in urban Rattus norvegicus populations remain unknown and, also, the data concerning zoonotic parasites of Rattus norvegicus are quite insufficient.…”