Differences in Ecological Drivers for Leptospira and Hantavirus in an Urban Norway Rat Population

Abstract Rodent control in urban areas is an important public health measure, among other reasons, for their capacity of harboring several zoonotic pathogens. Efficient, evidence-based control programs must consider both rodent and pathogen ecology, to achieve both rodent population and pathogen transmission risk reduction. The present study aims to determine the ecological drivers of Leptospira and Hantavirus positivity in an urban Norway Rat population. One hundred and twenty rats were trapped in four urban poor communities in Salvador, Brazil, tested for Leptospira sp. and Hantavirus. Generalized Linear Models for Leptospira (N=109) and Hantavirus (N=108) positivity were created with a pool of environmental and demographic variables, followed by stepwise model selection using Akaike’s Information Criterion. Age, presence of Calodium hepaticum scars, wounds, accumulated materials, open sewer canals and unpaved soil were positively associated with Leptospira positivity. Age and presence of accumulated materials were positively associated with Hantavirus positivity, while rodent control campaigns and being male were protective factors. Factors associated with positivity for Leptospira are also associated with rodent infestation. Different subsets of environmental and demographic factors influence pathogens with different epidemiological characteristics. Control measures that effectively reduce zoonotic risk must consider the ecological characteristics of the pathogens present in the system.