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Publications and peer reviewed papers derived from project activities
Project documents
Publications on rodents
Publications on rodent-vectored zoonosis
Leptospirosis
Plague
Toxoplasmosis
Other diseases

Publications and peer reviewed papers derived from project activities

Taylor, P.J., Arntzen, L., Hayter, M. Iles, M., Frean, J., and Belmain, S.R. (2008) Understanding and managing sanitary risks due to rodent zoonoses in an African city: beyond the Boston Model. Integrative Zoology. 3: 38-50.

Stenseth, N.C, Aikimbayev, A., Atshabar, B.B., Begon, M., Belmain, S.R., Bertherat, B., Carniel, E., Gage, K.L., Leirs, H. and Rahalison, L. (2008) Plague: Past, Present and Future. PLoS Medicine. 5(1): e3. 9-13.

Mohr, K., Leirs, H., Katakweba, A. & Machang'u, R. (2007) Monitoring rodents movements with a biomarker around introduction and feeding foci in an urban environment in Tanzania. African Zoology. 42(2): 294–298.

Laudisoit, A., Leirs, H., Makundi, R.H., Van Dongen, S., Davis, S., Neerinckx, S., Deckers, J. & R. Libois (2007) Plague and the Human Flea, Tanzania. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 13(5): 687-693.

Mgode, G.F., Machang'u, R.S., Goris, M.G., Engelbert, M., Sondij, S. and Hartskeerl, R.A. (2006) New Leptospira serovar Sokoine of serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae from cattle in Tanzania. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 56: 593-597.

Davis, S., R. Makundi & H.Leirs. (2006) Demographic and spatio-temporal variation in human plague at a persistent focus in Tanzania. Acta Tropica, 100: 133-141.

Holt, J., S. Davis & H. Leirs (2006) A model of Leptospirosis infection in an African rodent to determine risk to humans: Seasonal fluctuations and the impact of rodent control. Acta Tropica, 99: 218-225.

Ahmed, N., Devi, S.M., Valverde, M. (de los Á), Vijayachari, P., Machang'u, R.S., Ellis, W.A. & R.A. Hartskeerl (2006) Multilocus sequence typing method for identification and genotypic classification of pathogenic Leptospira species. Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials, 5(28).

Mgode, G.F, Mhamphi, G., Katakweba, A., Paemelaere, E., Willekens, N., Leirs, H, Machang’u, R.S., Hartskeerl, R.A. (2005) PCR detection of Leptospira DNA in rodents and insectivores from Tanzania. Belgian Journal of Zoology, 135 (sup): 17-19.

Davis, S., E. Calvet and H. Leirs. (2005) Fluctuating rodent populations and risk to humans from rodent-borne zoonoses. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 5(4):305-314.

Mohr, K., H. Leirs, A. Katakweba & R. Machang'u. Movements of rodents around introduction and feeding foci in an urban environment in Tanzania.

BBC World Service. Rats! a two-part programme broadcast within the One Planet series. The second 30 minute programme contains much material derived from the ratzooman project and scientists involved. The programmes were broadcast internationally on two separate occasions, in June 2005 and January 2006. The programmes have been permanently archived on the BBC website and were separately produced on a CD for limited distribution. You can listen to the programmes by clicking on the below links.
Rats! part one: New York
Rats! part two East Africa

P. Taylor (2006) Managing urban rats and rodent-borne diseases in a squatter camp - the Cato Crest Model. Palmnut Post, 9(2): 18-20. Durban Natural Science Museum. Durban, South Africa.

P. Taylor (2005) RatZooMan: Durban’s Sharpshooter in the Rat War. Palmnut Post. Vol 8 no. 1. p. 14-16. Durban Natural Science Museum. Durban, South Africa

Public Health and the Ratzooman Project. (2005) RTD info Magazine Special INCO issue page 20. July 2005, 44 pages. European Commission, Brussels, Belgium.

A. Bolowana (2004) Durban acts as rat problem grows, solutions to health risks explored. The Mercury February 9, 2004.

Anon. (2006) Disease threats as rodent numbers rise Independent Online News & Media. May 4 2006.

D. Abbot (2006) Rat problem tackled. eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa.

D. Abbot (2005) Eco-friendly Durban is Tops! eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa.

Anon. (2006) Health officials allay fears of rat infection. SABC News, South Africa. January 24 2006.

Anon. (2006) Rising rodent numbers pose serious disease threat. The Mail and Guardian 4 May 2006.

T. Carnie (2006) Blood tests for shack dwellers, facing up to a major health risk. The Mercury January 23 2006.

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Project documents

J. Pender and L. Ritchie (2005) Ratzooman Geographic Information System User Manual. 42 pages. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

J. Pender and L. Ritchie (2005) Ratzooman Database Help System. 68 pages. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

M. Iles (2006) Socio-economic factors influencing the transmission of rodent-borne diseases in southern Africa. 116 pages. NRI report 2782. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

M. Janowski (2004) Perceptions and practices relevant to the transmission of plague, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis in Mapate, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa. 25 pages. NRI Report 2780. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

M. Janowski (2004) Perceptions and practices relevant to the transmission of plague, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis in Cato Crest, Durban, South Africa. 47 pages. NRI Report 2781. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

M. Janowski (2004) Perceptions and practices relevant to the transmission of plague, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis in Lushoto, Tanzania. 90 pages. NRI Report 2779. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

M. Janowski (2006) Perceptions and practices relevant to the transmission of plague, leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis in Morrumbala, Mozambique. 17 pages. NRI Report 2783. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

A.C. Heiberg (2006) Recommendations for rodent management interventions in the Republic of South Africa. 16 pages. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

A.C. Heiberg (2006) Recommendations for rodent management interventions in Mozambique. 14 pages. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

S.R. Belmain (2006) Rats and Human Health in Africa: Proceedings of an international workshop on rodent-borne diseases and the RatZooMan research project. 3-6 May 2006, The Pestana Kruger Lodge, Malelane, Mpumalanga Province, Republic of South Africa. 46 pages. Natural Resources Institute, Chatham UK.

Final project report January 2003 to June 2006.

Third year annual report January to December 2005.

Second year annual report January to December 2004.

First year annual report January to December 2003.

Technical Annex describes the project activities in detail

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the Natural Resources Institute, UK, 10-13 March 2003.

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the Pest Management Centre, Sokoine University, Morogoro, Tanzania, 16-24 July 2003

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the National Institute of Health, Maputo, Mozambique, 11-13 February 2004.

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the Danish Pest Infestation Laboratory, Kings Lyngby, Denmark, 22-24 September 2004

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the Royal Tropical Institute, the Netherlands, 27-29 April 2005

Minutes of coordination meeting held at the Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa, 6-8 February 2006 on behalf of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases

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Publications on rodents

Belmain, S.R. (2007) Rats, an ecologically based approach for managing a global problem. Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture. 23(4): 18-20.

Belmain, S.R., Dlamini, N., Eiseb. S., Kirsten, F., Mahlaba, T., Makundi, R., Malebane, P., Maltitz, E. von, Massawe, A., Monadjem. A., Mulungu, L., Siwiya, E., Taylor, P., and Tutjavi, V. (2008) The ECORAT project: developing ecologically-based rodent management for the southern African region. International Pest Control. 50(3):136-138.

Aplin, K.A., Brown, P.R., Jacob, J., Krebs, C.J. and Grant R. Singleton (2003). Field methods for rodent studies in Asia and the Indo-Pacific. ACIAR Monograph 100; ACIAR, Canberra, AU. 223 pp. This book is available (in three parts) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, published by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Leirs, H. and Zhang, Z. (eds.) (1999) Ecologically-based Rodent Management. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, AU. 494 pp. This book is available free of charge to institutions in developing countries. Please go to the CSIRO Rodent Research website for further information.

Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Krebs, C.J. and Spratt, D.M. (eds.) (2003) Rats, Mice and People: Rodent Biology and Management. This book is available (in four parts) Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 published by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research

War Against Rats. A newsletter produced and available through the CSIRO Rodent Research website. See the November 2003 article where the ratzooman project is mentioned.

Buckle, A.P. and Smith, R.H. (eds.) (1994) Rodent Pests and Their Control. CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 405 pp.

BBC World Service radio programme on rodent pests in Mozambique from BBC production “In The Field”

Focus on Rodent Management (2002) New Agriculturist

Managing Rats in Rural Villages of Bangladesh in three parts. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. (short video introduction)

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Publications on rodent-vectored zoonosis

Leptospirosis
Human Leptospirosis: Guidance for Diagnosis, Surveillance and Control published by the World Health Organization, 2003

Caley, P. and Ramsey, D. (2001) Estimating disease transmission in wildlife, with emphasis on leptospirosis and bovine tuberculosis in possums, and effects of fertility control. Journal of Applied Ecology. 38(6): 1362-1370.

Ward, M.P. (2002) Clustering of reported cases of leptospirosis among dogs in the United States and Canada. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 56(3): 215-226.

Ward, M.P. (2002) Seasonality of canine leptospirosis in the United States and Canada and its association with rainfall. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 56(3): 203-213.

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Plague
Plague Manual: Epidemiology, Distribution Surveillance and Control (in three parts) Chapters 1-2, Chapters 3-5, Chapters 6-7 published by the World Health Organization, 1999

Kilonzo, B.S., Mvena, Z.S.K., Machangu, R.S. and Mbise, T.J. (1997) Preliminary observations on factors responsible for long persistence and continued outbreaks of plague in Lushoto district, Tanzania. Acta Tropica. 68: 215-227.

Prevention of Plague, Immunization Practices published by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1996

A Quick Guide to Plague from the US CDC

Chanteau, S., Ratsitorahina, M., Rahalison, L., Rasoamanana, B., Chan, F., Boisier, P., Rabeson, D and Roux, J. (2000) Current epidemiology of human plague in Madagascar. Microbes and infection. 2: 25-31.

Titball, R.W. and Williamson, E.D. (2001) Vaccination against bubonic and pneumonic plague. Vaccine. 19(30): 4175-4184.

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Toxoplasmosis
Kean, B.H. (1972) Clinical toxoplasmosis—50 years. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 66(4): 549-71.

Lester, J. (1983) Detection of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii: a comparison of three test kits. Medical Laboratory Science. 40(4): 387-9.

Dubey, J.P. and Beattie C.P. (1988) Toxoplasmosis of animals and man. Boca Raton, Florida, CRC Press Incorporated.

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Other diseases

Viral hemorraghic fever
Lassa Fever Newsletter published by Merlin, 2002

Demby, A. H., Inapogui, A., Kargbo, K., Koninga, J., Kourouma, K., Kanu, J., Coulibaly, M., Wagoner, K. D., Ksiazek, T. G., Peters, C. J., Rollin, P. E. & Bausch, D. G. (2001) Lassa fever in Guinea: II. Distribution and prevalence of Lassa virus infection in small mammals. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. 1: 283-296.

Mills, J. N., Ellis, B. A., McKee, K. T., Calderon, G. E., Maiztegui, J. I., Nelson, G. O., Ksiazek, T. G., Peters, C. J. & Childs, J. (1992) A longituninal study of Junin virus activity in the rodent reservoir of Argentine hemorrhagic fever. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 47: 749-763.

Mills, J. N., Ellis, B. A., Childs, J., McKee, K. T., Maiztegui, J. I., Peters, C. J., Ksiazek, T. G. & Jahrling, P. B. (1994) Prevalence of infection with Junin virus in rodent populations in the epidemic area of Argentine hemorrhagic fever. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 51: 554-562.

Leishmanisis
Fichet-Calvet, E., Jomaa, I., Ben Ismail, R. and Ashford, R.W. (2003) Leishmania major infection in the fat sand rat Psammomys obesus in Tunisia: interaction of host and parasite populations. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology. 97(6); 593-603.

Fichet-Calvet, E., Jomaa, I., Zaafouri, B., Ashford, R.W., Ben Ismail, R. and Delattre, P. (2000) The spatio-temporal distribution of a rodent reservoir host of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Journal of Applied Ecology. 37: 603-615.

Relapsing fever
Trape, J.F., Duplantier, J.M., Bouganali, H., Godeluck, B., Legros, F., Cornet, J. P. & Camicas, J. L. (1991) Tick-borne borreliosis in West Africa. The Lancet. 337: 473-475.

Trape, J.F., Godeluck, B., Diatta, G., Rogier, C., Legros, F., Albergel, J., Pépin, Y. & Duplantier, J.-M. (1996) The spread of tick-borne borreliosis in West Africa and its relation to sub-saharan drought. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 54: 289-293.

Bilharzia
Duplantier, J. M. & Sène, M. (2000) Rodents as reservoir hosts in the transmission of Schistosoma mansoni in Richard-Toll, Senegal, West Africa. Journal of Helminthology. 74: 129-135.

Théron, A. & Pointier, J. P. (1995) Ecology, dynamics, genetics and divergence of trematode populations heterogenous environments: the model of Shistosoma mansoni in the insular focus of Guadaloupe. Research and Review in Parasitology. 55: 49-64.

Echinococcosis
Giraudoux, P., Raoul, F., Bardonnet, K., Vuillaume, P., Tourneux, F., Cliquet, F., Delattre, P. & Vuitton, D. A. (2001) Alveolar ecchinococcosis: characteristics of a possible emergence and new perspectives in epidemiosurveillance. Médecine et Madadies Infectieuses. 31: 247-256.

Giraudoux, P., Delattre, P., Takahashi, K., Raoul, F., Quéré, J. P., Craig, P. & Vuitton, D. (2002) Transmission ecology of Echinococcus multilocularis in wildlife: what can be learned from comparative studies and multi-scale approaches? In: Cestode Zoonoses: echinococcosis and cysticercosis. (eds. Craig, P. & Pawlowski, Z.), pp. 251-266. IOS Press, Amsterdam.

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