The reduction in biodiversity through land use changes due to urbanization and agricultural intensification, appears linked to major epidemiological changes in many human diseases. Increasing disease risks and the emergence of novel pathogens appear to result from increased contact between wildlife, domesticated animals and humans. We investigate how increasing human domination of the environment may favor generalist and synanthropic rodent species and affect the diversity and prevalence of rodent-borne pathogens in Southeast Asia, a hotspot of threatened and endangered species and emerging infectious diseases. We used extensive pathogen survey data on rodents from seven sites in mainland Southeast Asia in conjunction with present and past land cover analysis. At low spatial resolution across sites, we found that rodent-borne pathogen richness is negatively associated with increasing urbanization, characterized by increased habitat fragmentation, agriculture cover and deforestation. However at high spatial resolution among sites, we found that some major pathogens are favored by certain environmental characteristics associated with human domination of landscapes, including irrigation, habitat fragmentation, and increased agricultural land cover. In addition, synanthropic rodents, many of which are important pathogen reservoirs, were found favoured in fragmented and human-dominated areas, which may ultimately enhance the opportunities for zoonotic transmission and human infection by certain pathogens.
Habitat and landuse of rodents in mainland Southeast-Asia
The information on presence of each individual of four species of rodents was obtained during the ANR project CERoPath. See:
Morand S, Bordes F, Blasdell K, Pilosof S, Cornu J, Chaisiri K, Chaval Y, Cosson J, Claude J, Feyfant T, Herbreteau V, Dupuy S, Tran A (2015) Assessing the distribution of disease-bearing rodents in human-modified tropical landscapes. Journal of Applied Ecology 52(3): 784–794. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12414
And:
Morand S, Bordes F, Blasdell K, Pilosof S, Cornu J, Chaisiri K, Chaval Y, Cosson J, Claude J, Feyfant T, Herbreteau V, Dupuy S, Tran A (2015) Data from: Assessing the distribution of disease-bearing rodents in human-modified tropical landscapes. Dryad Digital Repository. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m0s63.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication and data package.
data.rodents.ecolapp.ods
Presence of Babesia spp. in rodents from 3 countries of mainland Southeast Asia
Rodents were screened for Babesia infection using molecular methods. Original data and methods are given in:
Karnchanabanthoeng A., Morand S., Jittapalapong S., Carcy B. (2017) Babesia occurrence in rodents in relation to landscapes of mainland Southeast Asia. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 18:121-130. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2017.2196.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication.
data.babasia.ecolapp.ods
Presence of Bartonella queenslandensis in rodents from 3 countries of mainland Southeast Asia
Rodents were screened for Bartonella infection using molecular methods. Original data and methods are given in:
Jiyipong T., Jittapalapong S., Morand S., Raoult D., Rolain J.-M. (2012) Prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in small mammals from southeastern Asia. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78: 8463-8466. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02008-12.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication.
data.bartonellaq.ecolapp.ods
Seroprevalance of Hantavirus in rodents from 3 countries of mainland Southeast Asia
Rodents were screened for hantavirus infection using serological method. Original data and methods are given in:
Blasdell K., Cosson J.-F., Chaval Y., Herbreteau V., Douangboupha B., Jittapalapong S., Lundqvist A., Hugot J.-P., Morand S., Buchy, P. (2012) Rodent-borne Hantaviruses in Cambodia, Laos PDR and Thailand. EcoHealth 8(4): 432-443. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0725-7.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication.
data.hantavirus.ecolapp.ods
Presence of Leptospira spp in rodents from 3 countries of mainland Southeast Asia
Rodents were screened for Leptospira infection using molecular methods. Original data and methods are given in:
Cosson J.-F., Picardeau M., Mielcarek M., Tatard C., Chaval Y., Suputtamongkol Y., Buchy P., Jittapalapong S., Herbreteau V., Morand S. (2014). Epidemiology of Leptospira transmitted by rodents in Southeast Asia. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 8(6): e2902. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002902.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication.
data.leptospira.ecolapp.ods
Presence of Trypanosoma lewisi in rodents from 3 countries of mainland Southeast Asia
Rodents were screened for Trypanosoma infection using molecular methods. Original data and methods are given in:
Pumhom P., Morand S., Tran A., Jittapalapong S., Desquesnes M. (2015) Trypanosoma from rodents as potential source of infection in human-shaped landscapes of South-East Asia. Veterinary Parasitology 208 (3-4): 174–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.12.027.
If you use the data in this file, please cite the original publication.
data.trypanosomal.ecolapp.ods