ROAR – Pest animals and Zoonotic risk

Roach of the sky and ground: Impact of pest animals on urban communities

PITCH

 

INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT

Malaysia has undergone rapid urbanization amidst the shift from agricultural to an industrial based economy, which has resulted in the expansion of interaction and close contact between humans and some animal species. This lead to an increasing number of emerging infectious diseases ; two-thirds of these being zoonotic diseases that have spilled over into human populations from animals, especially synanthropic animals such as rodents and crows.
– For rodents : it includes plague, which is the most well-known rodent-associated illness and other diseases, either by direct or indirect rodent contact leading to symptoms such as the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, leptospirosis and the gastrointestinal disease, cryptosporidiosis.
– For crows : the data is still very limited.

Objective : Provide crucial data to bridge gaps in our knowledge and thereby enable a platform for improving the rate of the animal infestation and to prevent zoonotic diseases. The study results also provides policy relevant findings that helps to design a more effective surveillance, screening, and biomonitoring systems and the implementation of health programs designed to improve the community’s well-being.

PROJECT IN ACTION

Task 1: Synanthropic animal sampling and screening activities
– To determine the factors impacting rodents and crows’ infestations in the urban city.
– To determine the prevalence of selected zoonotic pathogens from rodents and crows in the urban city.
– To identify zoonotic disease transmission risk in urban communities.

For collection of rats : The wet markets and dumpsters in residential areas are often associated with waste, slippery floors, blocked drainage systems, congestion and raw meat, fish and vegetables, which attracts rats, mice and cockroaches. The team placed baits in each cage and placed them around the rats’ homes. The traps were left on the respective sites overnight and the next morning, the coordinates of the cages in which rats had been trapped were noted (to give an idea of the location of rat infestations for future vector control programmes).

For collection of crows : We collaborated with the local authorities in their pest control activities. Animals captured by the local authorities was shared with the team.

Sampling : Animals were examined for the presence of ectoparasites (i.e. ticks, lice, fleas, chigger mites) and some selected tissues were gathered (blood, organs and oral and anal swabs). All samplings were then stored and transported for analysis and identification.

Task 2 : A survey questionnaire to observe their knowledge, attitude and practices towards rodents and crows, the potential of zoonotic diseases and more widely, regarding One Health

One Health questionnaires was developed by the team and distributed to the urban communities. Data obtained was analyzed for statistical correlation.

Task 3 : Information gathered was analysed statistically and form the baseline for the framework of an action plan through reviewing current policies and programs governing to the communities. 

Detection of Pathogens Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the detection of leptospira and scrub typhus was performed on the collected rodent and crow specimens, respectively. Detection of other zoonotic diseases was also be considered. Statistical analyses was performed on the obtained data.

 

NEXT STEPS

  • Following this research project, a workshop will be organised in 2023.
  • Furthermore, programs conducted will be made available and implemented of a module at a wider scale in the future.

ROAR ON THE WEB

XXXX

CONTACT

Project leader : Sazaly ABU BAKAR (sazaly@um.edu.my)

Associated researchers :
Serge MORAND (serge.morand@umontpellier.fr)
Kittipong CHAISIRI (kittipong.chaisiri@gmail.com)
Wayan SUANA (wynsuana@unram.ac.id)
Professor Upik Kesumawati Hadi (upikke@apps.ipb.ac.id)

Countries involved : Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia