Detection of zoonotic pathogens and characterization of novel viruses carried by commensal Rattus norvegicus in New York City.

ABSTRACT: Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are globally distributed and concentrate in urban environments, where they live and feed in closer proximity to human populations than most other mammals. Despite the potential role of rats as reservoirs of zoonotic diseases, the microbial diversity present in urban rat populations remains unexplored. In this study, we used targeted molecular assays to detect known bacterial, viral, and protozoan human pathogens and unbiased high-throughput sequencing to identify novel viruses related to agents of human disease in commensal Norway rats in New York City. We found that these rats are infected with bacterial pathogens known to cause acute or mild gastroenteritis in people, including atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Clostridium difficile, and Salmonel

SUBMITTER: Firth C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4205793 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature