Molecular Detection of Yersinia spp. in Rats as a Cause of the Zoonotic Disease in Tehran

Background and Objectives: The increasing frequency of zoonotic disease events underscores the need to develop forecastingtools toward a more preemptive approach to outbreak investigation. Zoonotic infections can be transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans through direct contact, or as food borne infections, or via intermediate vectors. The aim of this study is to examinerodents are transporter the Yersinia spp.is considered as a cause of zoonosis disease in Tehran. As rodents are usually infected with a number ofzoonotic bacterial hence control of these animals has an important role insafeguarding public health. By the results of this study the Ministry of Health can be ready to confront problems caused by unexpected events like earthquake which is somehow associated with street rat. Materials and Methods: In this study, the rats of four districts from north, south, east and west in Tehran were collected.The rats transferred and keep in the animal house in Tehran University of medical sciences. The stoolof ratscollected and transferred to the laboratory of the Pediatric Infections Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. DNA extraction done and the presence of the Y. pestis and Y. enterocolitica by the PCR as a molecular detection was revealed. Results: Twenty rats were collected from each district and totally 80 rats were included in this study. Y. enterocoliticaidentified in 15 (19%) according to the results of PCR assay and Y. pestis has been not detected in any of collected rats in our study. Conclusion: Bacterial zoonotic infections have the potential to induce human diseases of varying severity, with varying means of transmission to humans. People and especially pediatricsat high risk of infectiosby infectious agents in street rat in some part of Tehran because they are in contact with them. The results of this study can be very useful for Ministry of Health because they will be notified that which of infectious agents exists in street rat in Tehran and they can get ready for carry out health measures tocontrol these infections in Tehran.