Rat-atouille
A Mixed Method Study to Characterize Rodent Hunting and Consumption in the Context of Lassa Fever
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19528562 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jesse Bonwitt (0000-0002-0510-2802, Durham University, corresponding author), Ann H Kelly (0000-0003-4658-2133, University of Exeter), Rashid Ansumana (0000-0002-1973-7200), Schadrac Agbla, Schadrac C Agbla (0000-0002-0648-3336, MRC Unit the Gambia), Foday Sahr (0000-0001-9816-4502, University of Sierra Leone), Almudena Marí Sáez (0000-0002-5429-8485, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Marciele Borchert (0009-0009-3053-9852, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Matthias Borchert, Richard Kock (0000-0002-6561-3209, Royal Veterinary College), Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet (0000-0002-9421-3538, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 234-247 |
| Publication date | 2016-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | EcoHealth (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1612-9202 • E-ISSN: 1612-9210 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10393-016-1098-8 |
| PMID | 26895631 |
| OpenAlex | W2276838386 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 29 |
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 refine sensitization campaigns to account for these socio-cultural contexts
Animal ecology · Biology · Bushmeat · Ebola virus · Lassa fever · Lassa virus · Mastomys · Outbreak · Rodent · Sierra leone · Sigmodon hispidus · Sigmodontinae · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Viral hemorrhagic fever · Virus · Wildlife · Zoology · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research · Viral Infections and Vectors · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology · Virology
A time of decline
Movement Patterns of Small Rodents in Lassa Fever-Endemic Villages in Guinea
An Ethnographic Approach to Characterizing Potential Pathways of Zoonotic Disease Transmission from Wild Meat in Guyana
The gendered costs of human–wildlife conflict
Human behaviors driving disease emergence
Child and adolescent foraging
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,75 |
| Citation span | 2018 - 2025 (8) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |