Abstract
Mycobacteria can cause a variety of diseases, e.g. leprosy, tuberculosis and Buruli ulcer. Control of mycobacterial diseases is important because of the rising number of HIV-infected patients, especially in developing countries.
Rodents can be a reservoir for mycobacteria and therefore a source of infection for humans and livestock. However, it is not yet clear how prevalent mycobacterial infections are in rodents and what their possible role is in the transmission of these infections. A better insight in the role of rodents will contribute to the understanding of the epidemiology of mycobacterial infections in densely populated areas with low levels of hygiene, e.g. in and around expanding cities in Africa.
In this study we will try to make an inventory of the mycobacterial flora in rodents caught in and around an African city. The isolated strains will be compared, using molecular techniques, with mycobacteria isolated from humans and livestock. Until now, natural reservoirs have been poorly investigated, earlier studies focus primarily on either humans or livestock. In this study we include livestock because of its economical importance but mainly because it is a well documented source of infection for zoonotic tuberculosis.
The final objective is to come to a better control of the disease with better control strategies through a better understanding of the ecology of these infections.
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