{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T02:30:40Z","timestamp":1787970640441,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,7]],"date-time":"2021-03-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1615075200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003508","name":"Universitat de Val\u00e8ncia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UV-INV-AE-19-1196278"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UV-INV-AE-19-1196278"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003508","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rattus norvegicus, the brown or Norway rat, is the most abundant mammal after humans in urban areas, where they live in close proximity to people. Among rodent-borne diseases, the reservoir role of Norway rats of zoonotic parasites in cities has practically been ignored. Considering the parasitic diseases in the One Health approach, we intended to identify and quantify the zoonotic intestinal protozoans (ZIP) in an urban population of R. norvegicus in the city of Barcelona, Spain. We studied the presence of ZIP in 100 rats trapped in parks (n = 15) as well as in the city\u2019s sewage system (n = 85) in the winter of 2016\/17. The protozoans were molecularly identified by means of a multiplex PCR (AllplexTM Gastrointestinal Panel-Parasite Assay). We also investigated the presence of co-infections among the species found. Four ZIP were identified, presenting significant prevalences in sewers, specifically Blastocystis (83.5%), Giardia duodenalis (37.7%), Cryptosporidium spp. (34.1%), and Dientamoeba fragilis (14.1%). Several co-infections among the detected ZIP were also detected. The reservoir role of ZIP that Norway rats play in cities as well as the role rats may play as sentinels of zoonotic parasites affecting humans in urban areas are strongly backed up by our findings. The increasing worldwide urbanization, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic are factors that are producing an increase in human\u2013rat interactions. Our results should be considered a warning to the authorities to intensify rat control and surveillance in public health interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10030311","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,7]],"date-time":"2021-03-07T21:52:15Z","timestamp":1615153935000},"page":"311","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":39,"title":["One Health Approach to Zoonotic Parasites: Molecular Detection of Intestinal Protozoans in an Urban Population of Norway Rats, Rattus norvegicus, in Barcelona, Spain"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6712-9461","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda Teresa","family":"Gal\u00e1n-Puchades","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5977-3337","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Trelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"S\u00e1ez-Dur\u00e1n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1975-5828","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susana","family":"Cifre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6750-5818","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carla","family":"Gos\u00e1lvez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joan","family":"Sanxis-Furi\u00f3","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lok\u00edmica, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6028-0401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jordi","family":"Pascual","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pest Surveillance and Control, Ag\u00e8ncia de Salut P\u00fablica de Barcelona (ASPB), 08023 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4898-8519","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rub\u00e9n","family":"Bueno-Mar\u00ed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lok\u00edmica, Paterna, 46980 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandra","family":"Franco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pest Surveillance and Control, Ag\u00e8ncia de Salut P\u00fablica de Barcelona (ASPB), 08023 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V\u00edctor","family":"Peracho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pest Surveillance and Control, Ag\u00e8ncia de Salut P\u00fablica de Barcelona (ASPB), 08023 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tom\u00e1s","family":"Montalvo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pest Surveillance and Control, Ag\u00e8ncia de Salut P\u00fablica de Barcelona (ASPB), 08023 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"CIBERESP Epidemiology and Public Health, 08023 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9508-6390","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00e0rius Vicent","family":"Fuentes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Parasite &amp; Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Pan American Health Organization (2003). 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