Abstract

Objective: With nearly two-thirds of human infectious diseases of zoonotic origin, zoonotic diseases are a major threat to the global health and economy. Rodent-borne pathogens are of great concern as rodents are often found in close proximity to humans. Individuals involved in rodent control activities are likely to face a higher occupational risk of acquiring zoonotic diseases. This study aims to identify occupational risk factors associated with increased exposure to various rodent-borne pathogens.

Methods: A total of 77 volunteers participated in this study and their IgG antibody profile against common pathogens present in the local rodent population such as Hantaviruses, Leptospira and Rickettsia typhi were studied.

Results: Generally, seropositivity rates of any disease tested were higher in animal handlers compared to non-animal handlers, and the prevalence of specific IgG among participants that handle animals were 6.8% for Hantavirus, 32.2% for Leptospira and 13.6% for Rickettsia typhi. Interestingly, the handling of rodents was associated with a decreased risk of Leptospira infection (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.31, p<0.001). Gender was also found to influence the risk of rodent-borne diseases.
Conclusion: Our findings highlight the presence of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) could serve as an effective mitigation measure, as well as the importance of accounting for risk factors when designing occupational mitigation measures against such diseases.

Keywords: Animal handlers; Hantavirus; Leptospira; Occupational exposure; Rickettsia typhi; Rodents; Serology