(Information direct from the project website, find out more by exploring the links below)
The goal of the Vancouver Rat Project is to address this knowledge gap by studying urban rat populations, the microbes they carry,and the risk that they could pose to people through the transmission of infectious diseases.
The project is based out of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) has three major phases:
Phase 1 is a year-long study of rat ecology that will investigate the density,distribution, and characteristics of urban rat populations.
Phase 2 involves testing rats for a variety of zoonotic pathogens (i.e., microbes that could be transmitted from rats to people) and understanding how those microbes circulate within rat populations.
Phase 3 will determine if people are being exposed to rat-associated zoonoses, and will identify the risk factors associated with exposure to these microbes.
Explore their website >> to learn more about rats, the project, and the results that have been generated so far.
Publications from the project include: Himsworth CG et al(2013) Rats, Cities,People, and Pathogens: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Literature Regarding the Ecology of Rat-Associated Zoonoses in Urban Centers. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.June 2013, 13(6): 349-359. doi:10.1089/vbz.2012.1195.