Investigation on population dynamics and Echinococcus infections in small rodents around human settlement in Yushu City, Qinghai Province
10.16250/j.32.1374.2020002
- VernacularTitle:青海省玉树市人群定居点周围小型啮齿类动物种群 动态及棘球绦虫感染调查
- Author:
Xu WANG
1
,
2
;
Qing-Qiu ZUO
2
,
3
;
Qing YU
1
;
Cheng-Xi SONG
4
;
Zheng-Huan WANG
3
;
Ning XIAO
1
;
Yuan-Jia WANG
5
;
Xiao-Dong WENG
3
;
Xu WEI
3
;
Hong-Rang ZHOU
1
;
Xiao-Yu CUI
1
Author Information
1. National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, China
2. Co-first authors
3. School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, China
4. Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qinghai Province, China
5. Yushu Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qinghai Province, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Echinococcosis;
Echinococcus shiquicus;
Rodent;
Ochotona curzoniae;
Lasiopodomys fuscus;
cox1 gene;
Population dynamic;
Yushu City
- From:
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control
2021;33(4):346-352
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the population dynamics and Echinococcus infections in small rodents around human settlement in Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Methods Rodents were captured using the mouse trap method in pastures from Batang Township and Longbao Township of Yushu City, Qinghai Province on May, August and October, 2018. The body weight and snout-vent length of all captured rodents were measured, and the species was identified according to the rodent morphology. Genomic DNA was extracted from rodent liver specimens and lesion specimens, and the mitochondrial cox1 gene of Echinococcus was amplified using PCR assay for identification of parasite species. In addition, the tissue specimens positive for PCR assay were sampled for pathological examinations. The prevalence of Echinococcus infections was estimated in rodents, and a phylogenetic tree was created based on Echinococcus cox1 gene sequences. Results A total of 285 small rodents were captured, including 143 Ochotona curzoniae (50.2%), 141 Lasiopodomys fuscus (49.5%), and 1 Neodon irene (0.3%), and there was a remarkable variation in habitat selection among these three rodent species. The number of L. fuscus correlated positively with vegetation coverage (r = 0.350, P = 0.264), with the greatest number seen in August, and the number of O. curzoniae negatively with vegetation coverage (r = −0.371, P = 0.235), with the highest number seen in August and the lowest number in May. The female/male ratios of O. curzoniae and voles were 1:0.96 and 0.82:1, respectively. The body weight (r = 0.519, P < 0.01) and snout-vent length (r = 0.578, P < 0.01) of O. curzoniae showed a tendency towards a rise with month, while the body weight (r = −0.401, P < 0.01) and snout-vent length (r = −0.570, P < 0.01) of voles presented a tendency towards a reduction with month. No Echinococcus infection was detected in voles, while 2.1% prevalence of E. shiquicus infection was seen in O. curzoniae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed consistent sequences of cox1 gene from E. shiquicus in Yushu City of Qinghai Province and Shiqu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Conclusions The small rodents around the human settlement in Yushu City of Qinghai Province mainly include O. curzoniae and L. fuscus, with the greatest numbers seen in May and August, respectively. Following the concerted efforts for echinococcosis control, the prevalence of Echinococcus infections is low in small rodents around the human settlement in Yushu City; however, there is still a risk of echinococcosis transmission.
