Rat-atouille: A Mixed Method Study to Characterize Rodent Hunting and Consumption in the Context of Lassa Fever

EcoHealth
Jesse BonwittElisabeth Fichet-Calvet

Abstract

Lassa fever is a zoonotic hemorrhagic illness predominant in areas across Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and southern Mali. The reservoir of Lassa virus is the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis), a highly commensal species in West Africa. Primary transmission to humans occurs through direct or indirect contact with rodent body fluids such as urine, feces, saliva, or blood. Our research draws together qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a fuller and more nuanced perspective on these varied points of human-animal contact. In this article, we focus on the hunting, preparation, and consumption of rodents as possible routes of exposure in Bo, Sierra Leone. We found that the consumption of rodents, including the reservoir species, is widespread and does not neatly tally against generational or gender lines. Further, we found that the reasons for rodent consumption are multifactorial, including taste preferences, food security, and opportunistic behavior. We argue that on certain topics, such as rodent consumption, establishing trust with communities, and using qualitative research methods, is key to investigate sensitive issues and situate them in their wider context. To conclude, we recommend ways to refin...Continue Reading

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Citations

Apr 23, 2016·Current Opinion in Virology·Max CrispinThomas A Bowden
Sep 7, 2017·Pathogens and Global Health·Rory GibbKate E Jones
Nov 7, 2018·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Almudena Mari SaezElisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Jun 7, 2017·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Melissa LeachJames Koninga
Jun 7, 2017·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Vupenyu DzingiraiAnnie Wilkinson
Mar 25, 2018·EcoHealth·Joachim MariënElisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Jan 12, 2021·Frontiers in Veterinary Science·Antoine RachedVirginie Lattard
Jan 21, 2021·Biology·Umaru BanguraElisabeth Fichet-Calvet
Mar 18, 2021·PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases·Moussa DounoMarí Sáez Almudena
Apr 26, 2021·Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials·Liã Bárbara ArrudaRichard A Kock

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