Jesús Alonso Panti-May

Detection of Rickettsia felis in Wild Mammals from Three Municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico

The aim of this study was to provide information of the occurrence of Rickettsia felis in wild mammals from three municipalities in Yucatan, Mexico. The reactivity of rodent serum to Rickettsia antigens was detected in 80.9% (17 of 21) samples using immunofluorescence assay. Polymerase chain reaction identified rickettsial DNA in spleens of 43.5% (10 of 23) rodents and 57.1% (4 of 7) opossums. The identification of the rickettsial DNA was confirmed as R. felis by restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing. This study comprises the first report of R. felis detection in wild mammals in Yucatan.

A new species of Trichuris Roederer, 1761 (Nematoda: Trichuridae) from Heteromys gaumeri Allen & Chapman (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) in Yucatan, Mexico

In Mexico, four species of Trichuris Roederer, 1761 have been recorded in wild rodents belonging to the family Heteromyidae. In the present paper, we describe a new species based on specimens collected from Heteromys gaumeri Allen & Chapman (Heteromyidae: Heteromyinae) in the tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Trichuris silviae n. sp. can be differentiated from the congeners described in North and South American rodents by morphological and morphometric features, such as the possession of a wide spicular tube, a thicker proximal cloacal tube, a shorter distal cloacal tube and a cylindrical spicular sheath. This is the first description of a Trichuris spp. from heteromyid rodents in Mexico and the fourth in North America. Despite the broad distribution of Heteromys spp., few cases of Trichuris infection have been reported. Further studies are necessary to verify if the new species is present in other heteromyid rodents in order to increase our knowledge about its geographical and host distribution.

Reproduction and postnatal development in the Yucatan vesper mouse

Abstract The vesper mouse, Otonyctomys hatti, is a rare species endemic to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, the biology of which is practically unknown. This study reports, for the first time, on various aspects of the reproduction and postnatal development of O. hatti observed in captivity. A reproductive colony was formed initially with four females (one pregnant) and a male, captured in the El Edén Ecological Reserve, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The mice were kept in living chambers and reproduction chambers, and daily recordings were made of maternal conduct and developmental parameters in the young. In total, 15 young were born in eight litters. The mean litter size was 1.9 young, and the sex ratio was not different to 1:1. The neonates weighed an average of 3.6 g and were altricial at birth. The development of the young was slow; the eyes opened between days 11 and 13, although hearing and sense of smell developed earlier (9–11 days). Consumption of solids began between days 14 and 18, and weaning took place around day 21. The time period between mating and birth of the litter was 31–32 days. The reproductive and postnatal developmental aspects of O. hatti were similar to those reported for the phylogenetically proximal species Nyctomys sumichrasti.

Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Didelphis virginiana in Relation to Population Parameters and Variables Associated with Presence in Rural Community Dwellings in Yucatan, Mexico

Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biologicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, km 15.5 carretera Merida-Xmatkuil. Apdo. Postal 4-116 Itzimna, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico Laboratorio de Zoonosis y otras ETV’s, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales ‘‘Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’’, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Av. Itzaes #490 9 59, Col. Centro, C.P. 97000 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico Facultad de Matematicas, Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan, Periferico Norte Tablaje 13615 A.P. 172, C.P. 97119 Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

A checklist of the helminth parasites of sympatric rodents from two Mayan villages in Yucatán, México

In this survey, 19 species of helminths including Cestoda (Davaineidae, Hymenolepididae, and Taeniidae), Acanthocephala (Oligacanthorhynchidae), and Nematoda (Trichuridae, Ornithostrongylidae, Heligmonellidae, Oxyuridae, and Gongylonematidae) from Rattus rattus, Mus musculus, Sigmodon toltecus, Heteromys gaumeri, and Peromyscus yucatanicus in two Mayan villages in Yucatán, México, were recorded. Ten species of helminths were collected in both localities. The highest species richness was recorded in R. rattus from Xkalakdzonot (6 taxa). Twelve species are new records for Yucatán and two are registered for the first time in México. This survey constitutes the first checklist of helminth parasites in small rodents in the south-southeast of México.

Perceptions of rodent-associated problems: an experience in urban and rural areas of Yucatan, Mexico

Rodents are a threat to agriculture and homes, and are a public health risk. Local perceptions about rodents and the damage they cause are vital, as a first step, to the design and implementation of rodent control or educational programs. A total of 111 interviews were conducted in two urban neighborhoods and two rural villages in Yucatan, Mexico. More than 90% of the interviewed inhabitants perceived rodents as a problem. The fear of rodents (57%), damage to food and stocks (56%), and damage to clothes (34%), were the most cited problems. In the urban neighborhoods, the use of rodent control methods was more frequent (57%) than in the villages (33%) in this study. In addition, the percentage of damage to domestic appliances was lower in villages (10%) than in neighborhoods (33%). Our preliminary results suggest that rodent pests represent a threat to human health and to human food security in the studied sites.

Survey of intestinal helminths collected from pet rodents in México

In this survey, intestinal helminths from pet rodents in Mérida, México, were analyzed. A total of 46 mice Mus musculus, 28 hamsters Mesocricetus auratus, 23 rats Rattus norvegicus, and 1 gerbil Meriones unguiculatus were purchased from six pet shops and one black market for wildlife in the city of Mérida. The overall prevalence of helminths in rodents was 61.2% (60/98). Six species of helminths were identified: the zoonotic cestode Rodentolepis nana, and the nematodes Aspiculuris tetraptera, Dentostomella translucida, Syphacia obvelata, Syphacia mesocriceti, and Syphacia muris. Of the 60 infected rodents, 25 (41.7%) harbored 2 or 3 species of helminths. Rodentolepis nana was found in 4.3% of mice and 17.9% of hamsters. This is the first report of infection with S. muris in pet rats. Considering the close physical contact between pet rodents and humans, the presence of R. nana in pets represents a potential risk of transmission, especially to children and immunocompromised individuals.

New host, geographical records, and factors affecting the prevalence of helminths infection from synanthropic rodents in Yucatán, Mexico

Summary The aim of this paper was to study the occurrence of helminths in Mus musculus and Rattus rattus from urban, suburban and rural settlements in Yucatán, Mexico; and to analyse the host factors (e.g. sex) related to helminths’ distribution. Helminths in a total of 279 rodents were surveyed by visual examination of the liver for metacestodes and faecal examination for helminth eggs using the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique. The cestodes Hydatigera taeniaeformis (metacestodes detected in the liver) and Hymenolepis diminuta, and the nematodes Aspiculuris sp., Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Syphacia muris, Syphacia obvelata, and Trichuris muris were identified. In M. musculus, the prevalence of infection with T. muris and H. taeniaeformis was higher in the rural village compared to those in the suburban neighbourhood. For R. rattus, a higher prevalence of infection with H. diminuta was found in the urban site compared to that in the suburban site. This study reports the occurrence of H. diminuta among rodents living in close proximity to humans, representing a potential public health risk. In addition, this survey increases our understanding of dynamic transmission among intestinal helminths recorded in Yucatán, Mexico.

Absence of molecular evidence of Leptospira spp. in urine samples collected from rodents captured in Yucatán, México

espanolRESUMEN. Leptospira spp. es una bacteria espiroqueta, agente causal de la leptospirosis, enfermedad zoonotica endemica en Mexico que representa un serio problema de salud publica y veterinaria. Los roedores son reconocidos como los mas importantes reservorios de la bacteria, la cual es transmitida principalmente por contacto directo o indirecto con Leptospira spp. contenidas en orina de individuos infectados. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la circulacion de Leptospira spp. en muestras de orina de roedores silvestres y sinantropicos de Yucatan, Mexico. Ochenta y cuatro roedores fueron capturados en la comunidad de Cenotillo, Yucatan. Se recolectaron 26 muestras de orina de la vejiga y fueron usadas en la extraccion de ADN total. La identificacion de Leptospira spp. se pretendio por medio de la prueba de reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa en su variante punto final. No se encontro evidencia de Leptospira spp. en las muestras de orina. Es necesario emplear otros tejidos para la identificacion de Leptospira spp. antes de concluir que los roedores usados en el presente estudio no son reservorios de esta bacteria. EnglishABSTRACT. Leptospira spp. is a spirochete bacteria, causal agent of leptospirosis, zoonotic disease endemic in Mexico that represents a serious public health and veterinary problem. Rodents are recognised as the most important reservoirs of this bacteria, which is transmitted mainly through direct or indirect contact with the Leptospira spp. excreted in the urine of infected individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the circulation of Leptospira spp. in urine samples of wild and synanthropic rodents from Yucatan, Mexico. Eighty-four rodents were captured in the community of Cenotillo, Yucatan. Twenty-six urine samples were collected from the bladder and were used in the total DNA extraction. The identification of Leptospira spp. was intended through the polymerase chain reaction test in its endpoint variant. No evidence of Leptospira spp. was found in the urine samples. It is necessary to use other tissues for the identification of Leptospira spp., before concluding that the rodents used in the present study are not reservoirs of this bacteria.