Rodent Control is a Key Factor in Poultry Biosecurity and Sustainability
Biosecurity is gaining more importance with the outbreaks of multiple poultry diseases worldwide. Rodents have been a threat to public health and linked to epidemics for centuries.
Rodent control is critical for biosecurity programs due to the close connection or synanthropic relations between rodents, humans, and domestic animal facilities.
In recent years, rodents have been connected with 40% of known communicable zoonoses.
Rodents are involved in the cycle of these diseases in multiple ways.
They can be microorganism reservoirs, intermediate hosts, replicators, or infection vectors.
RODENTS IN AVIAN INFLUENZA CONTROL
Recent research published in the Journals of Pathogens (2024, 13(9), 764) and Viruses (2025, 17(4), 495) by researchers from Tottori University in Japan and University of Hong Kong, respectively, indicated that mice (Mus musculus), brown rats (Rattus novergicus), and black rats (Rattus ratus) are permissive hosts for multiple influenza A virus subtypes prevalent in birds or humans, including H5Nx, H7N9, H9N2, H10N8 and the 2009 pandemic H1N1.
These results indicated that rats should be considered in influenza A virus ecology.
The asymptomatic yet pathogenic nature of infection, combined with rodents’ global synanthropy, underscores their potential role as cryptic reservoirs in viral maintenance and transmission.
While their role as “mixing vessels” remains speculative, the risk of environmental virus amplification and spillover to domestic animals or humans cannot be dismissed.
The Japanese study indicated that synanthropic wild rodents are susceptible to infection with avian-origin H5N1 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) and contribute to the virus ecosystem as replication-competent hosts.
Detection of infectious viruses in oral swabs indicated that wild rodents exposed to HPAIVs could contaminate food, water, and the environment in poultry houses and play a role in introducing and spreading HPAIVs in farms.
These studies highlight the need for expanded surveillance and control of rodents in influenza ecology to mitigate zoonotic risks.
RODENTS IN ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND EMERGING PATHOGENS
Some infectious microbial agents have developed antimicrobial resistance (AMR), threatening poultry and human health.
Rodents act as reservoirs and vectors of organisms with AMR for first-line and last-resort antimicrobial agents.
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