The impact of illegal waste sites on a transmission of zoonotic viruses

Abstract

BackgroundIllegal waste disposal impacts public health and causes aesthetic and environmental pollution. Waste disposed in places without permitted and controlled facilities can provide a ready source of nutrition and shelter for rodents and thus promote the spread of their ecto- and endoparasites. The presence of two distinct zoonotic viruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), was searched at illegal waste sites. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infection with both viruses in rodents and to discuss the virus-rodent relations in such environments.MethodsRodents sampled between October 2011 and April 2013 at 7 locations in the Istrian peninsula, were identified morphologically and genetically to minimize misidentification. Serological and molecular techniques were used to determine seroprevalence of infection in rodents and to detect viral RNAs. Serological testing was performed by immune fluorescence assay for detection of LCMV and TBEV specific antibodies. Real-time RT PCR was used for the detection of LCMV nucleoprotein gene and TBEV 3′ non-coding region. Data were statistically analysed using SPSS statistic v2.0.ResultsOut of 82 rodent sera tested, the presence of LCMV antibodies was demonstrated in 24.93%. The highest prevalence of LCMV infection was found in commensal Mus musculus (47.37%), followed by 11.53%, 19.04% and 25% prevalence of infection in A. agrarius, A. flavicolis and A. sylvaticus, respectively. The highest prevalence of infection in rodents (53.33%) was found in locations with large waste sites and high anthropogenic influence. LCMV seroprevalence was significantly lower in rodents sampled from natural habitats. Viral nucleic acids were screened in 46 samples but yielded no amplicons of LCMV or TBEV. In addition, TBEV specific antibodies were not detected.ConclusionsIllegal waste sites have considerable impact on the area where they are located. Results have shown that the transmission of human pathogens can be significantly increased by the presence of waste sites. However, the pathogen must be endemic in the environment where the waste site is located. The introduction of a human pathogen as a consequence of the waste site in the area of interest could not be proven.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-017-0798-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Impact of Illegal Waste Sites on the Transmission of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Central Tunisia

“…Several studies showed the impact of illegal waste sites on vector-borne diseases such as dengue [ 25 ], rodent-borne diseases such leptospirosis [ 26 ], toxoplasmosis [ 27 ], and zoonotic viruses [ 28 ]. However, few studies linking illegal waste and leishmaniasis have been performed.…”

Prevalence and genotype identification of Toxoplasma gondii in suburban rodents collected at waste disposal sites

“…At waste sites, there are large quantities of organic waste that attract different vermin animals, particularly rodents. Results have shown that the transmission of other zoonotic pathogens between rodent species collected on waste sites, such as lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, can be significantly increased by the presence of waste sites (53.33% in illegal waste sites vs. 17.39% in natural habitats) [7]. A study from Mexico showed that local rodent species have a relatively important role in the sylvatic cycle of T. gondii.…”

“…Despite the existing infrastructure for dealing with waste, studies have revealed an extensive network of illegal waste sites [19] across Europe. These sites provide a ready source of nutrition and shelter for human-introduced rodents [4] that support the spread of pathogen vectors and non-native/invasive species [25] along the Mediterranean coast [7,14]. The higher parasitism and infection rates of animals in illegal waste sites could be significantly associated with the change in the rodent communities due to potential increase of commensal rodents brought there by human waste [4].…”

Ecotoxicological assessment of leachate from Amilegbe dumpsite, Ilorin, Nigeria using <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> (Burchell 1822) and <i>Allium cepa</i>

“…Leachate, complex mixture of organic, inorganic and many unidentified toxicants, may pose risk of unknown magnitude to aquatic life (Nwabueze, 2011). There are serious health implications due to the presence of illegal waste dumpsites in public places and lack of proper solid waste management (Duh et al, 2017). The flow of leachate from waste dumpsites into nearby water bodies and also percolation into soil may have adverse effect on aquatic organisms as well as plant growths.…”