The role of rats and mice in dissemination of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance

大鼠和小鼠在病原体传播和抗菌素耐药性中的作用

• 批准号: 2740984
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2740984
• 关键词: role; rats; mice; dissemination; pathogens

Rats and mice are ubiquitous in urban and rural environments, are in contact with sewage effluents, have a generalist and opportunistic diet and interact frequently with human wastes. While they cause considerable physical damage to buildings and utilities, they pose even more serious risks to public health by spreading disease. They are known to carry a wide range of pathogens including many species of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths. In addition, a number of recent studies have found that rodents harbour significant antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria including multidrug-resistance Enterobacteriaceae and methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus spp. To exacerbate the problem further, surveillance work undertaken by the members of our supervisory team in 2019 revealed that 93% and 61% of house mice and rats carry at least one rodenticide resistance gene respectively - among rats, nearly half have inherited the gene from both parents, the most severe form of resistance. Despite these known and emerging threats, the role of rodents as reservoirs and/or vectors of pathogen, AMR as well as the extent of their resistance to rodenticide is still poorly understood. And, this is where this PhD programme comes in - we propose to understand the variation in the distributions and dispersal dynamics of rodent-borne pathogens, AMR and rodenticide resistance in urban, suburban and rural settings utilising modern techniques and technologies. Notably, this project will develop and apply cutting-edge molecular techniques and bioinformatics to identify pathogens, AMR and rodenticide resistance in rodents. Another important and unique aspect of our project is our UK-wide samples obtained from the existing network of collaborating pest controllers coordinated by Action Groups including Rodenticide Resistance Action Committee (RRAC) and the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) with whom our Supervisory Team has direct links. Access to a large number of samples from around the UK and a variety of different ecological niches, combined with the novel high through put molecular analysis, will allow a thorough analysis of any correlation of rodent niche with pathogen and AMR carriage and also rodenticide resistance.

大鼠和小鼠在城市和农村环境中无处不在，与污水接触，具有通才和机会主义饮食，并经常与人类废物相互作用。虽然它们对建筑物和公用设施造成相当大的有形破坏，但它们通过传播疾病对公共卫生构成更严重的危险。已知它们携带广泛的病原体，包括许多种类的细菌、病毒、原生动物和蠕虫。此外，最近的一些研究发现，啮齿类动物具有显著的抗菌素耐药性（AMR）细菌，包括多重耐药性肠杆菌科和耐甲氧西林葡萄球菌属。为了进一步加剧问题，我们的监督团队成员在2019年进行的监测工作显示，93%的家鼠和61%的大鼠分别携带至少一种灭鼠剂抗性基因-在大鼠中，近一半从父母双方继承了该基因，这是最严重的抗性形式。尽管存在这些已知和新出现的威胁，但啮齿动物作为病原体、AMR的储存库和/或载体的作用以及它们对灭鼠剂的抗性程度仍然知之甚少。而且，这就是这个博士课程的用武之地-我们建议利用现代技术和技术来了解城市，郊区和农村环境中啮齿动物传播的病原体，AMR和灭鼠剂抗性的分布和传播动态的变化。值得注意的是，该项目将开发和应用尖端分子技术和生物信息学，以确定啮齿动物中的病原体、AMR和灭鼠剂抗性。我们项目的另一个重要和独特的方面是我们从现有的合作害虫控制者网络中获得的样本，这些控制者由包括灭鼠剂抗性行动委员会（RRAC）和负责任灭鼠剂使用运动（CRRU）在内的行动小组协调，我们的监督团队与他们有直接联系。从英国各地和各种不同的生态位获得大量样本，结合新的高通量分子分析，将允许彻底分析啮齿动物生态位与病原体和AMR携带以及灭鼠剂抗性的任何相关性。