tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Jpn J Infect Dis
. 2024 Jul 31.
doi: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2024.143. Online ahead of print. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Rodent Populations in Tokyo, Japan
Yudai Kuroda[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Akitoyo Hotta[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Masakatsu Taira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nobuo Koizumi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kango Tatemoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eun-Sil Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Milagros Virhuez-Mendoza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tsukasa Yamamoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Noriyuki Komatsu[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Keigo Shibo[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Takeshi Sasaki[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yoshiyuki Mori[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Kentaro Watanabe[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yasushi Kiyokawa[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yuya Eguchi[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Azusa Banzai[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hirotaka Katahira[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Tsutomu Tanikawa[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ken Maeda[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
The maintenance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among wildlife populations poses a potential risk for the emergence of novel variants. Therefore, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection among animals is crucial. As urban rodents live in close proximity to human habitats, there is concern that they may be a potential source of zoonoses. To examine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in rodent populations, we analyzed 128 serum samples and 129 oral swabs collected from 128 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and 2 black rats (Rattus rattus) captured for pest control purposes in Tokyo, Japan, between May and December 2023. A virus-neutralizing test using the Omicron variant revealed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in these populations. Real-time RT-PCR from oral swabs did not detect any SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive rats. These results indicate the low probability of SARS-CoV-2 circulation among rat populations in Tokyo.
Keywords: Epidemiology; Rodents; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2024 Jul 31.
doi: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2024.143. Online ahead of print. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Rodent Populations in Tokyo, Japan
Yudai Kuroda[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Akitoyo Hotta[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Masakatsu Taira[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nobuo Koizumi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kango Tatemoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Eun-Sil Park[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Milagros Virhuez-Mendoza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tsukasa Yamamoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Noriyuki Komatsu[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Keigo Shibo[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Takeshi Sasaki[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yoshiyuki Mori[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Kentaro Watanabe[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yasushi Kiyokawa[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yuya Eguchi[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Azusa Banzai[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Hirotaka Katahira[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Tsutomu Tanikawa[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ken Maeda[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39085125
- DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2024.143
The maintenance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among wildlife populations poses a potential risk for the emergence of novel variants. Therefore, monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection among animals is crucial. As urban rodents live in close proximity to human habitats, there is concern that they may be a potential source of zoonoses. To examine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in rodent populations, we analyzed 128 serum samples and 129 oral swabs collected from 128 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) and 2 black rats (Rattus rattus) captured for pest control purposes in Tokyo, Japan, between May and December 2023. A virus-neutralizing test using the Omicron variant revealed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in these populations. Real-time RT-PCR from oral swabs did not detect any SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive rats. These results indicate the low probability of SARS-CoV-2 circulation among rat populations in Tokyo.
Keywords: Epidemiology; Rodents; SARS-CoV-2.