Epidemiological considerations of rodent community composition in
fragmented landscapes in Panama
Journal of Mammalogy, 89 (3):
684690 (June 2008)Abstract
We predicted that more-fragmented habitats are associated with lower
diversity of small mammals and higher densities of populations of
rodents that are hosts of hantaviruses. We compared diversity and
distribution of small mammals that are either hosts or nonhosts of
hantaviruses in 6 Panamanian national parks and adjacent areas with
varying degree of human impacts. We sampled forest, edge, and anthropogenically
disturbed habitats. The generalist rodents Oligoryzomys fulvescens
(reservoir of Choclo virus) and Zygodontomys brevicauda (reservoir
of Calabazo virus) were more abundant in disturbed habitats, especially
in smaller and more isolated patches, where population density and
diversity of other rodent species was lowest. In contrast, these
2 species had lower abundances in larger forested areas with more
nonreservoir species of small mammals. Our results suggest that the
change in the natural environment resulting from tropical deforestation
is increasing the abundance and distribution of species that are
reservoirs for hantaviruses. Therefore, it is likely that forest
fragmentation has contributed to recent outbreaks of hantavirus pulmonary
syndrome in tropical areas. Conservation of natural resources becomes
all the more imperative, not only for protecting fauna and flora
but also for human health.