MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF ZOONOSES IN URBAN WILDLIFE

Abstract

 Due to growing human-wildlife contacts and disturbance in the environment, wildlife-borne zoonotic diseases originated in urban areas are proving to be of a more concern to the population health.  They used 300 specimens of rodents, birds, and mesocarnivores in the urban setting to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of major zoonotic agents such as Leptospira spp., Salmonella enterica, Bartonella henselae, and urban-adapted coronaviruses.  We have found the encoders of genes [lipL32, invA, S1 spike protein], which play a role in virulence, to be abundant using the methods of PCR, ELISA, and metagenomic sequencing.  According to the comparison between the urban isolates and their rural counterparts, the former had greater host adaptation and greater gene expression, implying that the evolution of the pathogen might proceed even faster under urban stressors.  Host immune profile identified asymptomatic carriage in wildlife, which also means the competence of a reservoir lacking overt disease.  Spatial mapping featured a likelihood of spill over, leading to the association of densely populated regions where the pathogen was highly loaded.  Due to these results, a One Health molecular surveillance paradigm where wildlife disease surveillance, urban ecology and human public health preparedness are integrated is necessary.