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Severe Infection of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in Bandicota bengalensis Inhabiting Commensal Areas of Punjab, India: Prevalence, Risk Factor Analysis, Molecular Identification and Phylogenesis

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Abstract

Purpose

The present study aimed to record the prevalence, risk factors, molecular identification, and phylogeny of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis found in the small intestine of the lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis, a wild rodent species.

Methods

A total of 100 bandicoot rats live trapped at two commensal urban locations (50 each), i.e., a fish market and railway station, in Ludhiana, Punjab State (India), from November 2020 to October 2021, were analysed for the presence of N. brasiliensis, a nematode parasite of zoonotic importance.

Result

Overall, the small intestine of 43.00% of the rats was found severely infected with bright red coloured adult N. brasiliensis of both sexes (total of 1439 specimens). Faecal samples contained ellipsoidal and thin-shelled eggs measuring 62.25–74.70 m in length and 33.20–37.35 m in breadth. No significant (P > 0.05) effect of host age, sex, or season was observed on the rate of infection. The parasite intensity and mean abundance ranged from 27.68–38.04 and 10.52–18.26, respectively, indicating a high risk of disease transmission. Based on the morphology, the nematode parasite was identified as Nippostrongylus sp. Molecular identification was confirmed through PCR amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene, which showed a single band of approximately 355 bp. A comparison of the present isolate with the available sequences of Nippostrongylus species across the globe showed 100% nucleotide homology with N. brasiliensis sequences available in GenBank from Japan (AP017690), the USA (U57035), and New Zealand (NC033886).

Conclusion

The study indicates that B. bengalensis inhabiting commensal urban areas is a reservoir host for N. brasiliensis, which if transmitted to humans and animals visiting the area may pose a potential health risk. The study thus suggests proper rodent population management close to human habitations to avoid the transmission of disease-causing agents.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India for providing financial assistance in the form All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management and Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi, India for providing laboratory infrastructure in the form of FIST (Fund for Improvement of S&T Infrastructure) project at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India.

Funding

The study was funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, India in the form of All India Network Project on Vertebrate Pest Management at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, India

    Shivani Rara, Neena Singla, Sukhmanpreet Kaur Brar & Dimple Mandla

  2. Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, 141004, India

    Lachhman Das Singla

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  1. Shivani Rara
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Contributions

The study was conceived and designed by Dr. Neena Singla and Ms. Shivani Rara. Material preparation and data collection were performed by Ms. Shivani Rara. Dr Sukhmanpreet Kaur Brar and Ms. Dimple Mandla assisted in laboratory work. Work was supervised by Dr. Neena Singla and Dr. Lachhman Das Singla. Data were analysed by Ms. Shivani Rara, Dr. Neena Singla and Ms. Dimple Mandla. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Ms. Sukhmanpreet Kaur Brar. The manuscript was reviewed and edited by Dr. Neena Singla and Dr. Lachhman Das Singla. Funds were acquired by Dr. Neena Singla. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Neena Singla.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethics Approval

Approval was obtained from Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, India for use of animals under Protocol no. GADVASU/2018/IAEC/46/16. The procedures used in this study adhere to the guidelines of Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals, India.

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Rara, S., Singla, N., Brar, S.K. et al. Severe Infection of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in Bandicota bengalensis Inhabiting Commensal Areas of Punjab, India: Prevalence, Risk Factor Analysis, Molecular Identification and Phylogenesis. Acta Parasit. 68, 172–181 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-022-00652-z

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