Rats and mice in several urban areas of northeastern USAincluding the city of New Yorkhave genetically mutated and are more resistant to commonly used pesticides, according to a recent study by Rutgers University (New Jersey) released this Wednesday by local media.
Researchers analyzed the DNA of 147 house mice and Norway, or brown, rats from urban areas in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC, focusing on the Vkorc1 gene, of which certain mutations have been linked to resistance to the most widely used rodenticides in the United States.indicates a statement from Rutgers.
84% of the mice studied carried at least one Vkorc1 gene mutation linked to resistance to pesticides and 70% had other mutations that help them resist pesticides, while 35% of the rats carried the specific Vkork1 gene mutation.
“We found that resistance seems to be much more widespread among common mice than people know. Norway rats also carry genetic mutations, but scientists still don’t know if (…) they affect their vulnerability to rodenticides”explains researcher Jin-Jia Yu, the main author of the study.
One of the reasons why mice have adapted more quickly than rats is their curiosity, since they are more likely to try unfamiliar foods, including poison baits, while rats are more cautious and “lists”he maintains.
The University, in its note, alludes to the “long evolutionary competition between humans and one of their oldest urban adversaries”a plague that in the case of the Big Apple, one of the most populated cities in the world, even merits a position and public health policies to reduce the rodent population.
“Anticoagulant rodenticides have been used for decades to exterminate rats and mice. Over time, rodents carrying mutations that help them survive exposure to these chemicals can gain an advantage, allowing resistant traits to spread through populations,” he notes.
Yu said the study is groundbreaking in providing new information about rodenticide resistance in the northeastern United States, and explained that understanding the prevalence of mutations linked to it will help pest control professionals and public health agencies make better decisions.
In that sense, “Rather than relying exclusively on chemical controls, researchers recommend combining multiple strategies, including sealing entry points, improving hygiene, modifying (rodent) habitat, and using traps when appropriate.”details.
The study, produced by the Department of Entomology in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was published in April in the journal Pest Management Science.