Synanthropic rodents and shrews are reservoirs of zoonotic bacterial pathogens and act as sentinels for antimicrobial resistance spillover in the environment: A study from Puducherry, India.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health concern and needs to be monitored for control. In this study, synanthropic rodents trapped from humans and animal habitats in Puducherry, India, were screened as sentinels for bacterial pathogens of public health importance and antimicrobial resistance spillover. From the trapped rodents and shrews ( = 100) pathogens viz.

A molecular survey of zoonotic pathogens of public health importance in rodents/shrews and their ectoparasites trapped in Puducherry, India.

Background: Globally, India has a high zoonotic disease burden and lacks surveillance data in humans and animals. Rodents are known reservoirs for many zoonotic diseases and their synanthropic behavior poses a great public health threat.

Methods: In this study, trapped rodents/shrews from randomly selected villages within Puducherry, India, and their ectoparasites were screened for zoonotic pathogens, namely, Orientia tsutsugamushi, other pathogenic rickettsiae, Leptospira spp.