Leptospirosis is a disease that disproportionately affects impoverished urban communities, but is likely to become more prevalent as changing climate alters flooding regimes. The persistence and transmission of the Leptospira pathogen is reliant on small vertebrate animals, predominantly rodents. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Peterson et al. demonstrate how changes in rodent diversity and abundances across the complex mosaic of abandonment and recovery investment in post‐Katrina New Orleans can predict zoonotic infection prevalence. Understanding the ecological conditions that support persistence and transmission of zoonotic pathogens in urban ecosystems, where they are most likely to affect humans, is critical to effective monitoring and prevention.

中文翻译：

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携带人畜共患病原体的啮齿动物利用卡特里娜飓风后新奥尔良的荒地

钩端螺旋体病是一种严重影响贫困城市社区的疾病，但随着气候变化改变洪水制度，这种病可能会变得更加普遍。钩端螺旋体病原体的持久性和传播依赖于小的脊椎动物，主要是啮齿动物。在本期《分子生态学》中，彼得森等人。证明在卡特里娜飓风后新奥尔良的废弃和恢复投资复杂的格局中，啮齿动物多样性和丰度的变化如何预测人畜共患病的感染率。了解有效地支持人畜共患病原体在城市生态系统中持续存在和传播的生态条件，对人畜共患病原体最有可能影响人类，对有效监测和预防至关重要。