Dissertation
Rodents are a vital component of ecosystems influencing various ecological aspects such
as community structure, stability, and diversity. However, they are very sensitive to
environmental change, thus act as indicators of environmental suitability in their
respective ecosystems. Rodents’ haemoparasites are zoonotic and have great potential of
causing rodent borne diseases when transmitted to humans. Recreational infrastructures
constructed in protected areas to support leisure and recreation activities for tourists, may
disrupt the natural environment of rodents and influence dynamism in their communities
and associated haemoparasites, an may lead to transmission of these haemoparasites to
the human communities. Capture- Mark- Release was used to collect data in Serengeti
National Park to assess the effects of recreational infrastructure on rodent communities
and their associated haemoparasites. Four transect lines of 100 meters; set 10 meters apart
were used for setting traps in selected trapping sites; and capillary tubes were used to
collect blood samples for assessment of prevalence of haemoparasites. A total of 128
rodents belonging to 9 species were captured, of which Mastomys natalensis was the
dominant species (53.1%). Generally, areas with less active infrastructure had more
diverse community, but lower breeding pattern. Bacillus spp was the only haemoparasite
observed to prevail in 24% of all captured rodents, with higher prevalence in adult males.
The study concludes that different recreational infrastructure with regards to visitors’
occupancy do not affect rodent communities in their natural environment; rather the
dynamism in rodent communities are influenced by the nature of the habitat and
environment surrounding the infrastructure. Thus, we recommend that more detailed
studies should be done in relation to potential agents of diseases within PAs. This would
help in understanding if there are potential risks to tourists and wildlife, and solving them
before any outbreak occurs, as the two communities have been found to interact.
African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Rodent Pest Management and Biosensor Technology Development