Spatial #Variation of #SARS-CoV-2 #Exposure in Urban #Rodents from the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, #Argentina: Implications for Public Health in Latin American Cities
Abstract Background : The COVID-19 pandemic , driven by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become an unprecedented global public health challenge . Comprehensive investigation of the virus transmission dynamics requires exploration of all potential routes , including the role of animal reservoirs . This study aimed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antibodies in urban rodents captured within two landscape units (low-income neighborhoods and green spaces) in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (MABA), Argentina. Methods : Between July 2020 and September 2022, 125 synanthropic rodents (68 Rattus norvegicus, 22 R. rattus, and 35 Mus musculus) from seven low-income neighborhoods and seven green spaces in the MABA were captured and examined for SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection by indirect immunofluorescence serology and RT-qPCR, targeting the N, E, and ORF1ab genes. Results : Two M. musculus and six R. norvegicus from five different low-income neighborhoods test...