Rodents as carriers of disease: preliminary studies in the United Kingdom

The University of Reading has conducted some preliminary work on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Arenavirus in Norway rats trapped from farms and semi-urban areas in central southern England. Campylobacter is the cause of a notificable disease in the UK, with 57,772 cases reported for England and Wales in 2009. Transmission to humans is believed to be primarily through undercooked meat, from contaminated water, and through contact with pets; and symptoms include a high temperature, severe diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Ninety-seven per-cent of sporadic cases have been attributed to farm animals, and in particular the meat and poultry industry. There are eighteen species of Campylobacter, eleven of which can be pathogenic to humans; although the principal species that cause gastrointestinal disease in humans are C. jejuni and C. coli; although C. lari, C. helveticus and C. upsaliensis are also involved. Salmonella species also causes a gastrointestinal disease, and in the UK, is common in chicken and has been linked to egg production. Species are typed using antigen specific agglutination tests, or by their susceptibility to specific bacteriophage. Some strains are known to be linked with human disease (eg. S. enteritidis PT4).

The role of rodents as carriers of disease on UK farms: a preliminary investigation

In the UK, Campylobacter spp. and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV), an Old World arenavirus, cause two zoonoses of concern that may be transmissible from rodents to humans and livestock. The aims of this preliminary investigation were to examine the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and LCMV in Norway rats Rattus norvegicus on UK farms and to identify and characterise the Sequence Types of the Campylobacter isolates. Samples were collected from wild Norway rats and fresh Norway rat faeces. Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) was performed on C. spp. isolates and samples were tested for arenavirus RNA by RT-PCR. Six C. spp. isolates were identified. One isolate was C. lari and five isolates were C. jejuni. Following MSLT profiling, three unique C. jejuni sequence types were identified. Two of which are novel and the third is typically associated with livestock and human infection. Nine positive results for LCMV were obtained giving an overall prevalence of 25% across four sites. This is higher than previously reported for this species.

Insects, ticks and human diseases, a brief statement of facts vitally important to man,

Mode of access: Internet.

The feeding apparatus of biting and disease-carrying flies.

Mode of access: Internet.

Household and stored-food insects of public health importance and their control /

"May 1963"--T.p. verso.

Field manual on veterinary entomology for Animal Disease Eradication Division personnel. Section on ticks.

Includes bibliography.

Techniques of public health entomology,

Mode of access: Internet.

The prevention of malaria in the Federated Malay States : a record of twenty years' progress /

Includes index.

Medical entomology [manual prepared by the staff of the Entomology Division of the] U. S. Naval Medical School.

Includes bibliographies.

History of entomology in World War II.

Mode of access: Internet.

Arthropods of medical importance in Latin America /

Earth Sciences Laboratory ES-35.

Flies in relation to disease; bloodsucking flies,

References at ends of sections.

Animal parasites and human disease,

Bibliography: p. 529-534.

The Review of applied entomology.

Imprint varies: London, 1913-[1930]; Farnham Royal, Eng., [1976-]

Laboratory manual for medical entomology.

Mimeographed.