Jan.
7, 2013 — Leptospirosis is a water-related bacterial disease with a high
incidence in Southeast Asia. People usually become infected through exposure to
water contaminated by the urine of infected animals, mainly rats and mice. In
the framework of the CERoPath (1) program, IRD researchers and their partners
(2) have revealed the relationship between rodents' environment and infection
by leptospirosis bacteria. They showed that, whereas people mainly get infected
in rice fields, the bacteria are present in a variety of environments, and
particularly at the frontiers of fields and forests.
The
use of remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has helped to
expand knowledge on rodents' habitats. These studies allow a better
understanding of their behaviour, depending on land use changes, and infection
risks caused by human activities, including leisure.
Rodents
are major reservoirs (3) of human pathogens such as Leptospira spp., the
bacteria responsible for leptospirosis. This bacteria is transmitted to humans
via the animals' urine, mainly through skin lesion in contact with contaminated
water. The disease occurs in most parts of the world. The number of cases,
which is estimated at 500,000 a year, is constantly growing. The rate is
dramatically high in Southeast Asia, where it is considered as endemic (4).
In
the framework of the CERoPath program, IRD researchers and their partners have
demonstrated the links between rodents' environment, the climate, and
leptospirosis infection.
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